Gunmen strike Anambra police station, kill two officers

September 16, 2024

By Samuel Ogunsona

A recent attack on the Umunze Police Station in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State occurred on Monday, left two police operatives dead.

The unidentified assailants launched a surprise attack on the station in the early hours, firing shots into the air before forcing their way into the premises.

According to eyewitnesses and local sources, the gunmen caught the police officers off guard, resulting in fatalities.

The attackers also used improvised explosive devices to set parts of the premises ablaze, causing significant damage.

One of the eyewitnesses said, “The masked hoodlums shot severally into the air as they marched towards the gate of the police premises. It happened early this morning and it was the gunshots that woke the neighbourhood and sent panic into the area.

“They shot and injured some police officers as they forcefully entered the premises. The incident happened within a short space of time, they burnt some parts of the building and were about to cause more mayhem before the attack was repelled in an exchange of gunfire by the officers on duty, after which the hoodlums escaped back into their hideouts.”

The Spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in a statement, saying the police have launched a manhunt on the fleeing assailants.

Ikenga said, “The Joint Security Forces comprising of the Police, Army, Navy, Civil defence and other security agencies recovered five unexploded improvised explosives and are on the trail of the arsonists and armed secessionist group members, who in the early hours of today 16/9/2024 attacked the Umunze Police Station.

“The suspected armed proscribe group invaded the police facility with improvised explosives, shooting sporadically and fire caught part of the station.

“Unfortunately, two of the police operatives on duty during the gun battle in a bid to resist the assailants from causing more havoc paid the supreme price. Their bodies have been recovered and taken to the morgue.”

The motive behind the attack is currently unknown, but an investigation is likely to be launched to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.