The Anambra State Police Command has initiated a manhunt for unidentified assailants who, reportedly from a neighboring state, killed two police personnel. The incident occurred at Uga Roundabout in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State late on Thursday.
According to an eyewitness, the assailants, armed with AK-47s, arrived in large numbers from the Umuchu-Umunze Road, randomly kidnapping people. The attackers, seemingly undeterred, engaged in a prolonged attack. When a group of policemen approached from the Ezinifite axis, the assailants opened fire, resulting in the death of two officers.
The Anambra State police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in a press statement. He revealed that the hoodlums, disguised in military attire and appearing to be on a kidnap mission, fired upon police officers who were part of a convoy.
Ikenga stated, “Anambra State Police Command has launched an intensive manhunt for armed insurgents who infiltrated from a neighboring state and killed two police personnel on December 28, 2023, at about 6.30 pm.”
The assailants, realizing that armed police officers were approaching, opened fire. In response, the police personnel returned fire, being cautious not to harm motorists in the traffic. This forced the attackers to flee.
The police-led mobile Forward Operating Base, which had been patrolling the area throughout the Christmas period, swiftly responded to the scene. They recovered a Lexus SUV used by the gang and neutralized an improvised explosive device found in the vehicle.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Aderemi Adeoye, declared the weekend and Christmas holidays as special working days for all officers and urged them not to be demoralized by the sacrifice made by their colleagues from Enugu State Command. He offered condolences to the families of the deceased officers and the Enugu State Police Command, vowing that the personnel’s sacrifice would not be in vain.
