Gunmen Launch Third Attack on Anambra Police Stations, Kill Officer

In a continued wave of violence in Anambra State, gunmen have attacked the Divisional Police Station in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area, marking the third such incident since August. The assailants, suspected to be separatist agitators, killed a police corporal during the assault, which also saw parts of the station set ablaze by petrol bombs.

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the attack, explaining that the gunmen fired sporadically in an attempt to breach the station’s defenses. “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 fire, including the Oba Civic Center,” Ikenga said.

Despite the onslaught, other officers on duty managed to extinguish the fire with the assistance of a joint security response team. Ikenga further disclosed that a comprehensive operation involving the Army, Navy, Civil Defence, and other security agencies is underway in Oba and its surrounding areas to capture the perpetrators.

Commissioner of Police Nnaghe Obono Itam condemned the attack, describing it as “an invasion on the soul of a nation,” and vowed to bring those responsible to justice. This latest incident follows similar attacks on police stations in Nnewi and Nnobi last month, which also resulted in the deaths of several officers.