Gunmen kill two police operatives in fresh attack in South-east

Gunmen have again killed two police operatives in Anambra State, Nigeria’s south-east.

The operatives were killed in the early hours of Thursday in Uruagu, a community in Nnewi North Local Government Area of the state.

The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday morning.

“Preliminary information reveals that the armed men started shooting sporadically on sighting the police operatives and threw an improvised explosive into their operational vehicle,” said Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police.

“Unfortunately, two of the operatives paid the supreme price while the vehicle caught fire.”

This latest attack occurred barely two weeks after gunmen invaded Umunze Divisional Police Headquarters in the state, killing two police operatives.

Manhunt

Mr Ikenga said the police and other security agencies have launched a manhunt for the killers.

The spokesperson said the police are calling on the state residents to support the police with information to aid the investigation.

He assured that such information would be treated with “utmost confidentiality.”

Worsening insecurity

Like other states in Nigeria’s south-east, security has deteriorated in Anambra with frequent attacks by armed persons.

The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.

In early September, gunmen attacked Obowo Police Divisional Headquarters in the Obowo Council Area of the state.

The Obowo attack, which occurred on 4 September, resulted in the killing of a police operative.

Hours before, gunmen bombed Oba Police Divisional Headquarters in Anambra, another state in the South-east.

Another police officer was killed in the attack which happened on 2 September.

Within the same day, gunmen attacked the headquarters of Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, killing at least two persons.

In late August, gunmen again attacked the headquarters of Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra.

In June, some armed persons attacked the same Ogbaru Local Government Secretariat.

The Nigerian government has accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. However, the group has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks.

IPOB is a group leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the south-east and some parts of the south-south Nigeria.