By Izunna Okafor, Awka
No fewer than two police officers attached to the Anambra State Police Command were fatally wounded on Sunday night during a gun battle with yet-to-be-identified gunmen in the state.
Reports have it that the gunmen launched an attack on the police vehicle, prompting them to respond immediately, during which a gun duel ensued. This was corroborated by a video from a tricycle operator (Keke driver) who claimed to have witnessed the incident.
Although the tricyclist could not provide the full details of the attack, the video showed an abandoned Hilux vehicle at the scene, with the remains of the fatally-wounded officers.
However, speaking in an interview with this reporter, Izunna Okafor, on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the attack and said the incident occurred along the Ndiukwuenu—Amansea road in the late hours of Sunday.
Providing further details, the Police Spokesman said the officers were in a convoy escorting the Chief of Staff to Governor Soludo, before the gunmen swooped on them and started shooting sporadically at the convoy.
He said the officers immediately responded to the attack by engaging the gunmen, to ensure the safety of the principal targets and other members of the convoy.
SP Ikenga, however, revealed that in the cause of this, two officers paid the supreme price as they were fatally hit by bullets, while guaranteeing the safety and protection of other members of the convoy, whose vehicles escaped safely.
“Two of our officers were fatally wounded as a result of trying to repel an attack on the convoy of the Chief of Staff. As a result of that, they paid the supreme price, in order to make sure that the other members of the convoy were able to escape with the Principal,” the PPRO stated.
He, however, stated that intensive operations and manhunt were ongoing in the area to arrest the suspects, adding that the area had been cordoned off, while also appealing for calm and urging anyone who has any useful information that could aid the operation to report same to the nearest police station.
When asked if the attack was purely an assassination attempt on the Chief of Staff, the Police Spokesman said it could not be an assassination attempt, but more like an incident of criminals trying to attack someone.
“For me, it was not an assassination attempt. This is more like criminals trying to attack someone. It was not that he was pre-targeted per se. He was attacked just like any other person can be attacked. That was what happened,” he explained, while also reassuring the commitment of the Anambra State Police Command to protecting lives and property across the state.
