Gunmen yesterday, attacked the headquarters of Nnewi South Local Government Area in Ukpor, Anambra State, killing one unarmed security man.
They also set the LG Secretariat on fire.
This came more than two weeks after gunmen set the operational vehicle of Utuh community vigilantes and their office in the same LGA ablaze. They also abducted one of their staff members before fleeing from the area.
The latest attack comes about four weeks after gunmen raided some communities in the same Nnewi South LGA, particularly Ezinator town, and disarmed the vigilantes.
Transition Committee Chairman of the LGA, Chieloka Okoye, confirmed the incident, but could not give full details of it as he said that they were still taking inventory of what they lost.
It was not clear what led to the fresh attack, but the police command, in the statement, said that it was a suspected case of arson.
Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, told Daily Sun that the place had been cordoned off and that the command was investigating the ugly incident.
“It is a suspected case of arson; though the information is still sketchy, the command has since deployed operatives in the area and fire service has been contacted. The area has been cordoned off and further details shall be communicated,” Ikenga said..
Meanwhile, the state Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered security operatives in the state, particularly the police, to fish out the criminals and ensure they’re brought to book.
Soludo, who was accompanied to the crime scene by the Commissioner of Police, Echeng Echeng, said that he was saddened by the ugly incident and condemned it in strong terms.
The governor said that the resources that would be deployed to rebuild the buildings destroyed by the hoodlums would have been used to provide essential needs and infrastructure that would benefit Ndi Anambra..
He, however, appealed to the people to remain calm as he would ensure that the gunmen are apprehended and brought to justice.
Also in Delta State, some security operatives have been attacked by gunmen.
The hoodlums were said to have laid ambush for the security operatives, including police officers and local vigilantes.
One police officer was allegedly killed during the attack and his service rifle snatched by the assailants.
The incident occurred along the Issele-Azagba axis of the Benin-Asaba-Onitsha Highway, in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.
Local sources further claimed that the hoodlums razed a security patrol van at the scene of attack.
The locals said there were heavy gunshots during the attack, adding that the bandits escaped afterwards.
Public Relations Officer of Delta State Police Command, DSP Bright Edafe, who confirmed the attack, said there were no casualties, adding that suspected armed robbers shot at a vigilance group.
He said the local security operatives took cover during the attack, stressing that no death was recorded.
“They attacked vigilance men, but the vigilantes quickly took cover. Nobody died,” he said. – The Sun.
