Again, Gunmen Attack Anambra, Kill One, Raze Police Formation

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

In a seeming replay of the audacious attack on the Ogbaru Police formation, some gunmen in the early hours of Tuesday September, 3, 2024, struck in  Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra state.

The gunmen reportedly stormed the Oba Divisional Police Headquarters, killed a police operative and injured some others.

Some properties, including the Oba Civic Centre, were destroyed by the attackers.

This is even as the Anambra State  Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, has condemned and described the attack, as tantamount to attacking the very soul of Nigeria as a country..

He, therefore, vowed to make the perpetrators face the full weight of the law.

The Source reports that on Friday, August 30, some unknown gunmen  unleashed similar mayhem on the Headquarters of the Ogbaru Local Council.

Although no lives were lost in the Ogbaru attack, significant number of properties were destroyed by the rampaging attackers.

But the attack, just like the one on Oba, was carried out in the wee hours of the day, thus fueling suspicion that same group may have been behind the two  attacks that also primarily targeted  police formations and Government properties.

Like the Ogbaru attack, no conceivable reasons have been adduced for the attack, which some witnesses said was carried out by no fewer than 15 armed men .

However, the attack came on the heels of alleged Simon Ekpa-led Autopilots  declaration of a month-long confrontation with South East Governments .

The confrontation was supposed to have commenced on August 28, 2024,

The Anambra State Police authorities have, however, assured that efforts are ongoing to fish out the perpetrators.

A statement issued by its  spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga, said the Command is leading a joint security team comprising the army, Navy, Civil defence and others in an operation in Oba and its environs.

“Following an attack in the early hours of today, 3/9/2024 on Oba Divisional Headquarters and Oba Civic Centre, the suspected armed secessionist group started shooting sporadically in an attempt to gain entry into the police station,and threw petrol bomb at the security facility which made some of the offices catch up with fire including the Oba Civic Centre.

“Unfortunately, a Police Corporal was fatally wounded and 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” part of the statement reads.