Kasie Abone, Awka
Six suspected members of an armed criminal group have been killed following a gun battle with a joint security team at Amiyi in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The operation, conducted in the early hours of Saturday, August 22, involved personnel of the Nigeria Police Force Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu; Department of State Services (DSS); 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha; Nigerian Navy personnel from Ogbaru; and community-based Agunachamba operatives.
According to the Anambra State Police Command, the security team acted on credible intelligence and trekked for about four hours through difficult terrain and dense palm forest before locating a camp allegedly occupied by an armed criminal group.
The Command said the suspects opened fire on sighting the operatives, triggering a prolonged exchange of gunfire.
At the end of the encounter, six suspected members of the group were neutralised, while others reportedly escaped into the surrounding forest, with some believed to have sustained gunshot injuries.
Two pump-action guns and charms were recovered from the camp, while structures identified as being associated with the group were subsequently dismantled.
The operation, however, recorded a casualty on the side of the security forces when an explosive device, suspected to have been planted in the area, detonated.
The police said one security operative was killed in the explosion, while another sustained injuries and is currently receiving medical treatment in a hospital.
The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, commended the personnel and community-based operatives involved in the operation for their courage, resilience and professionalism in confronting the suspected criminals despite the difficult terrain and hostile environment.
Oji Ama said the operation underscored the importance of intelligence sharing, inter-agency collaboration and community support in the fight against violent criminal networks.
He also expressed condolences to the family, colleagues and associates of the deceased operative, while wishing the injured personnel a speedy and full recovery.
The police commissioner assured residents that the command, in collaboration with sister security agencies and other relevant stakeholders, would sustain intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling criminal camps, recovering illegal firearms and preventing violent groups from establishing operational bases in any part of the state.
He called on residents to remain vigilant and provide security agencies with timely and credible information, stressing that community cooperation remained critical to sustaining peace and security in Anambra.
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