Officer killed as gunmen bomb police facility in South-east

Gunmen have bombed Oba Police Divisional Headquarters in Anambra State, Nigeria’s South-east.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday in Oba, a community in Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.

A police officer was killed during the attack, PREMIUM TIMES gathered.

Apart from the police facility, the hoodlums bombed the Oba Civic Centre.

The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said the attackers were suspected members of an unnamed secessionist group.

“The suspected armed secessionist group started shooting sporadically in an attempt to gain entrance to the police station and threw petrol bombs at the security facility which made some of the offices catch up with fire including the Oba Civic Centre,” the police spokesperson said.

He said a joint security team later carried out an “onslaught” operation following the attack.

Mr Ikenga said the joint security team included the police, the Nigerian army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

“Unfortunately, a police corporal who was fatally wounded paid the supreme price, while the fire was put off with the help of other police officers on duty and the joint security responding team,” he said.

The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Nnaghe Obono, has condemned the attack, Mr Ikenga said.

Mr Obono described the incident as an “attack on the soul” of Nigeria.

The police chief vowed to track down the hoodlums.

Worsening insecurity

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

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

The latest attack occurred about four days after gunmen attacked the headquarters of the Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state.

Buildings and vehicles were destroyed during the council headquarters attack, which occurred on Friday.

The Friday attack occurred after some hoodlums attacked the same secretariat in June.

The Nigerian government has accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied 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 South-south Nigeria.