Violence Erupts in Anambra: Gunmen Target Local Govt HQ, Incinerate Patrol Cars

Early on Saturday morning, a group of unidentified gunmen carried out an assault on the Ogbaru Local Government Secretariat in Anambra, resulting in the destruction of four patrol vehicles owned by a local vigilance group.

According to reports from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the attackers arrived at the council headquarters in significant numbers, utilizing motorcycles and a vehicle, and began shooting indiscriminately.

Efforts by local vigilantes to repel the attackers were supported by a prompt response from a team of highly trained police officers.

SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the spokesperson for the Anambra Police Command, confirmed the incident to NAN in Onitsha. He explained that the gunmen fled the scene after being overwhelmed by the joint efforts of the vigilantes and the police.

Ikenga elaborated that the assailants encountered strong resistance from the vigilantes until the arrival of the police response team. Due to the superior firepower of the security forces, the gunmen were forced to retreat.

Despite the successful defense, the attackers managed to damage four patrol vehicles belonging to the vigilance group before making their escape.

Mr. Nnaghe Itam, the Anambra Police Commissioner, strongly denounced the attack and the destruction of the patrol vehicles, commending the security forces for their bravery in repelling the assailants and describing the incident as an act of cowardice.

Ikenga also mentioned that a combined security task force, comprising the Army, Navy, and other security agencies, has been dispatched to the area to apprehend the perpetrators of the attack. He assured residents that there were no casualties and that security measures are being heightened to safeguard lives and property in the region.