Security operatives in Anambra State on Tuesday foiled a coordinated attack on the Oko Divisional Police Headquarters and repelled armed assailants who opened fire under the Ekwulobia flyover in Aguata Local Government Area.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, July 9, left two unsuspecting civilians dead and a brown Toyota Sienna vehicle, reportedly belonging to the Anambra State Vigilante Group, set ablaze.
The police, in a swift response led by a joint security team, engaged the armed hoodlums in a gun duel, killing one of the suspects and recovering a cache of arms and vehicles. Items recovered at the scene include an AK-47 rifle, one automatic pump-action gun, and four vehicles suspected to have been used by the attackers.
The recovered vehicles are: a red Toyota Camry with registration number ENU 58 SC, a golden-coloured Lexus RX 330 (Reg No: ENU 815 AP), an ash-coloured Toyota Highlander (Reg No: GDD 517 RW), and a custom-colour GLK Mercedes-Benz SUV without a number plate.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the armed men had opened fire indiscriminately under the Ekwulobia flyover before targeting the Oko Divisional Police Headquarters in what appeared to be a coordinated assault.
“The gallant officers on duty at the station successfully repelled the attack. No casualties were recorded at the police station,” Ikenga stated in a press release issued Tuesday afternoon.
He further noted that the bodies of the two civilians killed during the incident have been recovered and deposited at a morgue, while security operatives continue to comb the area in an aggressive pursuit of the fleeing suspects.
The operation, according to the police, is part of a sustained onslaught against criminal elements across the state, especially in the Aguata axis, which has witnessed recent upsurges in armed violence.
In response to the attacks, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has deployed additional tactical teams to bolster security in the affected areas. He urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with law enforcement, assuring that adequate measures have been put in place to restore normalcy and protect lives and property.
“Further developments will be communicated to the public as investigations progress,” the police statement concluded.
