One officer has been killed as some gunmen bombed the Oba Police Divisional Headquarters in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The gunmen suspected to be secessionists who attacked the headquarters early hours of Tuesday also injured several others. The hoodlums also attacked the Oba Civic Centre.
Some sources in the area told our correspondent that a yet-to-be-identified police corporal was killed in the incident while others sustained varying degrees of injury.
The reason for the attack was unknown, but it coincided with a declaration by a secessionist leader, Simon Ekpa, who called for a month-long hostility against government establishments in the South-East, starting from August 28, 2024.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday.
According to him, a joint security force comprising the Army, Navy, Civil Defence, and other agencies are currently conducting a joint operation in Oba and its environs.
He said the suspected armed secessionist group shot sporadically and threw petrol bombs, causing fires in some offices and the civic centre.
The PPRO’s statement read in part; “The Police-led Joint Security Force comprising the Army, Navy, Civil defence and other security agencies are currently in a joint on-slaught operation within Oba and its environments.
“Following, an attack in the early hours of today 3/9/2024 on Oba Police Divisional Headquarters and Oba Civic Centre. The suspected armed successionist group started shooting sporadically in an attempt to gain entrance to the Police Station and threw petrol bombs at the security facility which made some of the offices catch up with fire including the Oba Civic Centre.
“Unfortunately, a police corporal who was fatally wounded paid the supreme price, while the fire was put out with the help of other police officers on duty and the Joint Security responding team.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, while condemning the act, described the invasion of security facilities and hostility towards security agents as an attack on the soul of a nation and vows to bring those behind the unholy act to book.”
This is coming barely four days after some gunmen said to be in large numbers attacked the Ogbaru Local Government Secretariat in Anambra State.
It was gathered that the hoodlums, who invaded the LGA secretariat in the early hours of Friday, set buildings, including a town hall meant for traditional rulers and some administrative facilities at the premises ablaze.
This is the second time in two months that gunmen would attack the Ogbaru LGA as a similar attack was carried out on June 15, 2024.
Although there were no casualties recorded at the moment, sources in the area who witnessed the Friday incident, said the hoodlums shot indiscriminately into the air thereby sending panic to residents.
The sources said the attack, however, has sparked renewed concerns about security in Ogbaru, with the locals saying that some days ago, a security man was killed as a result of bullet wounds he sustained from gunmen attack.
One of the sources in the area said, “Gunmen numbering about 30 who emerged from the bush at about 5 am, chanted songs as they stormed the local government secretariat, shooting into the air.
“They trekked from their hideouts and got to Atani Magistrate Court located near the council and started setting some buildings within the council ablaze, including the main secretariat and traditional rulers’ buildings.
“The hoodlums were about to set some other buildings ablaze before the arrival of security operatives who opened fire against them. The arrival of the police officers made them flee back into the bushes.
“Sincerely speaking a lot is happening and the security situation in the area is getting worse and nobody cares to speak up because of fear. Just yesterday a security man known as CY died as a result of the bullet wound he sustained during a gun battle with the gunmen at the Amiyi community on 27-8-2024.
“On August 5, two young men were shot dead by the hoodlums and five days ago, a retired policeman was beaten to death by the same criminal gang.”
The state police spokesman, Ikenga, confirmed the incident, adding that a joint security operation is still going on in the area.
Ikenga said, “The Commissioner of Police, Anambra state Police Command, Commissioner of Police, Nnaghe Itam, has condemned the morning attack at the Ogbaru Local Government Headquarters Secretariat by the gunmen.
“The security operatives gallantly resisted the attack of the gunmen on Ogbaru LGA in the early hours of today, August 30. Some LGA properties were destroyed, and some buildings were also affected, but no life was lost.
“The hoodlums fled the scene due to the superior firepower of security operatives. At the moment, the joint security operation is still ongoing. Further development shall be communicated, please.”
Recall that on June 15, 2024, some yet-to-be-identified assailants, arriving in large numbers on motorcycles, had also attacked the same Ogbaru LG, after shooting indiscriminately.
The attack, which destroyed four patrol vehicles belonging to the vigilantes, was described as an act of cowardice by the police.