Gunmen kill two Policemen in Anambra

The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed that gunmen shot dead two police officers attached to the command.

The incident occurred along the Awa–Ndiukwuenu–Ufuma Road on Sunday night.

It was learnt that the attackers accosted the officers while they were on patrol and opened fire on them, leaving their bodies on the road.

The long stretch of the newly constructed Awa–Ndiukwuenu–Ufuma Road had previously been a hotspot for criminal elements because of its isolated nature.

However, the state government, under the administration of Professor Charles Soludo, rehabilitated and opened up the road during his first term in office, making the area more accessible and habitable, with many new buildings springing up along both sides of the route.

A source from the community, a tricycle operator who was travelling along the road at the time of the incident, said he was on his way when he suddenly heard gunshots ahead.

He said the development prompted him to abandon his tricycle and hide in a nearby bush for safety.

According to a voice note from the tricycle operator: “After some time, I came out of the bush, retrieved my keke and continued my journey. When I got to the spot where the incident happened, I found the bodies of two policemen lying on the road.

“Two policemen are lying on the road here, and their police van is parked by the roadside. I decided to make this voice note and post it on the platform because I think one of the policemen is still alive, so that anyone who knows the police authorities can alert them to come and save their members,” the tricycle rider stated.

The State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, could not be reached on his mobile phone when contacted on Monday.

However, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Ikioye Orutugu, confirmed the incident, saying the command had already commenced investigations and was taking the necessary action.

He explained that a team of police officers was returning from an assignment when they were ambushed by gunmen who opened fire on them.

According to Orutugu, “A team of police officers was returning from an assignment when they were ambushed by armed men who opened fire on them. In the process, we lost two officers.”

He stated that the police had been working on the matter since Sunday night and had intensified efforts to track down those responsible for the attack.

The commissioner added that he would visit the scene of the incident to assess the situation and strategise with security personnel on measures to prevent similar attacks in the state.

He warned motorists and members of the public to be cautious and avoid approaching unauthorised checkpoints that are not manned by identifiable police personnel and official police vehicles.

“Whenever you approach a checkpoint without police vehicles or clear police identification, you should exercise caution. Either turn back and alert the nearest police formation or immediately contact the police for assistance,” Orutugu stated.

Recall that the state police command under CP Ikioye Orutugu had remained relatively calm following intensive raids on criminal elements and their hideouts across the 21 local government areas of the state, aimed at rooting out suspected gunmen and their sponsors.

The latest killing of the police officers appears to signal a resurgence in the activities of unknown gunmen, coming shortly after members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) marked what they described as Biafra Day across the South-East geopolitical zone in remembrance of heroes of the 1967–1970 Nigerian Civil War.