Dark Monday in Anambra as unknown gunmen attack LG headquarters, kill 5, set 4 vehicles ablaze

PHIL OKOSE, Onitsha , AMAECHI PERCY ONYEJEKWE,  Awka and 

EMMANUEL AWARI, Jalingo

 

Unknown gunmen have reportedly attached Ogbaru Local Government  secretariat in Atani, Anambra State, setting  four patrol vehicles of the local vigilante group ablaze  this weekend.

 

Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police, CP, in the State , Mr. Nnaghe Obono Itam,   condemned the morning attack by armed arsonists which resulted in the destruction of the vehicles, describing it as an act of cowardice even as there were no casualties.

 

Preliminary information indicated that the assailants, arriving in large numbers on motorcycles and a vehicle, began shooting indiscriminately but  faced strong resistance from the Vigilante Operatives until the police response team arrived.

 

“Due to the superior firepower of the security operatives, the gunmen fled the scene. Unfortunately, four operational vehicles of the security operatives were engulfed in flames and severely damaged,” the CP stated.

 

In response to this incident, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations led a joint security force comprising the Army, Navy, and other security agencies to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.

 

According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga, (SP), “Ongoing onslaught operations are being carried out to apprehend the culprits.

 

“The Commissioner of Police commends the security operatives for their bravery and assures the public of continued and strengthened collaboration in the fight against criminal elements in the State. Further developments will be communicated as they arise,” he stated.

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Five persons have been allegedly killed in Nnewi and Nnobi following a gun battle between security operatives and hoodlums said to be gun men in the communities.

 

Sources disclosed this on Monday, saying the gun men firstly  stormed Nnewi and headed  towards Nnobi

 

It was gathered that some security operatives gave the gun men a chase of their lives in Nnewi leading to their leaving through Nnewi -Ichi route.

 

On reaching Nnewi Ichi, the gun men were said to have seen some vigilante men chasing after them and waited for them

 

Sources said that the hoodlums opened fire on the  vigilante men and  in the process shot down one security man and another unidentified person  before veering towards Onyibo Junction at Nnobi in a bid to escape uncaught

 

At Onyibo Junction,  Nnobi  the  hoodlums were said to have seen another group  of security operatives blocking  their  way.

 

According to sources  the bad guys waited at the transformer close to the junction  where they and the security operatives opened fire on each other and in the process shot  persons including a child  of about  nine years who was said to  be  going  on errand and two women, of who  one of them was said to be a newly married woman who was returning from the garden carrying a basket of bitter kola on her head with stray bullets.

 

Sources said there was no incidents at Nnobi Junction when the  fleeing hoodlums reached there but  only fired shots to scare street traders away from the road

 

However,  on reaching,  Awka-Etiti the gunmen allegedly  abducted an unidentified man travelling  on a jeep, pushed down his wife and fled with the  vehicle.

 

According  to vigilante sources  at Nnewi, (names with held) there was intelligence report that  some hoodlums were heading towards Nnobi. This made those operatives stationed at  Authority Radio FM  Nnewi to mobilize themselves against  the hoodlums.  The  source  added  that when  they  found out that  they had only five bullets left,  they  retreated while others stayed behind.

 

The sources said their commamder,  identified as  Eloka  Onyejekwe was shot dead while the driver  of the  vigilante vehicle was shot on his legs, adding that several others were wounded in the  attack that ensued between them.

 

The  PPRO Anambra State police command,  Ikenga Tochukwu  confirmed the story saying  information reaching  him at press time was still sketchy  promising to go  on air when he had got the whole information.

 

“I have been  made aware of the incident . The information  is still  sketchy. As soon as I get the whole information I will go  to air”, the PPRO  said.

Six persons have been reported killed and several others injured as suspected Fulani herdsmen launched an attack on villagers in Maraba Azagwa and Alele all of Maihula, Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State.

Sources disclosed that a fulani herdsman who was overtaken by the dangerous drugs he took at Maihula, a village market, eventually died on the way while struggling to get back to his abode.

The relatives of the deceased who later recovered his corpse, accused the villagers of being responsible for the death of their brother.

They therefore, mobilized and swiftly embarked on the bloody attack which claimed six lives and left several other persons with various degrees of injury.

The Chairman, Taraba State Tiv Traditional Council, Zaki David Gbaa, in a telephone interview, identified those killed as, Aondohemba Salemkaan, Tersuugh Dondo, Terkuma Mbatim, Kumaga Ujam Asaaga Nev and  Tersoo Memga.

He lauded the security operatives for their quick intervention to calm the situation, called on the bereaved to leave vengeance to God and the necessary authorities in the state.

He expressed confidence that the culprits would eventually be arrested by security agencies and prosecuted, especially as all of them live in the community and could easily be identified by the deceased wives

A brother to one of the victims who was strangled by the assailants, Mr Tarvihi Adega, cried out to the government of the state to come to their aid, especially that life was not as easy as it used to be.

“The death of these persons is pathetic and quite unfortunate. I want to appeal to the state government and spirited individuals to come to the aid of the families of the victims and those receiving treatments in the hospital to make life meaningful for us again

“I want to tell you that nobody envisaged this calamity. My brother and the rest of the other victims were completely ignorant of what killed them. They were in their houses relaxing after Sunday service when the attackers came. I believed they all thought it was a usual visit because we relate with each other freely here. That is why you see that all of them were strangled. They were not killed by gunshots.

“My brother has six children who are in school. He sponsors them through his farm produce and you can see that his death has automatically increased my responsibilities. I believe the situation is similar with the other victims. If the government will come to our aid, it will alleviate much of our fears”. Adega lamented.

He further disclosed that the remains of all the victims of the attack were deposited in a mortuary at Maihula, Bali LGA while those injured were receiving treatments in different locations

Though our reporter could not reach out to the chairman of the Local Government Area, Hon Aboki Dauda Dakka as all his lines were switched off, as of the time of going to press, the State Police Public Relation Officer, DSP Gambo Kwache, confirmed the attack on a telephone interview. She however said only two corps were recovered by the police

Gambo noted that no arrest has been made so far but security operatives had to comb the area and “efforts are on top gear to bring the culprits to book”.

For a better society

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