In Anambra, gunmen kill three policemen at checkpoint
Some yet-to-be-identified assailants have attacked a police checkpoint along the Umunze-Ihite Road, in the Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, killing three policemen on the spot.
It was gathered that the gunmen invaded the location in large numbers on Thursday and immediately opened fire on the security officers manning the checkpoint, while three officers died, others escaped after a gun duel.
A resident of the area, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said the armed men fired gunshots in the air to scare residents.
He said the community had been deserted after the attack, as shop owners in the area hurriedly closed their shops while people fled the market and others remained indoors for fear of another attack.
“The incident happened early in the morning. Three policemen were killed by the gunmen. They fired gunshots in the air for several minutes as people ran away,” he said.
A video clip recorded shortly after the attack went viral on Thursday.
In the clip, the bodies of the slain officers were spotted in the area. While one body was lying along the road, the other two lifeless bodies were seen at the corner of a building very close to the scene of the attack.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident, describing it as one of the highest prices security officers pay in serving their nation.
Ikenga expressed regret over the loss but said that the police in the state was not deterred by the attack.
“It is an unfortunate incident and it is part of the highest price security officers pay in serving the nation but the police command is not deterred by this development.
“Reinforcement teams are already in the area and the manhunt for the assailants is ongoing while joint security patrols have been intensified in the area,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Abia State Police Command has confirmed the beheading of an Assistant Superintendent of Police in Aba on Tuesday.
The spokesperson for the command, Geoffrey Ogbonna, confirmed this in a statement on Thursday.
“The dastardly act is highly condemned and the public is enjoined to help with credible information on the perpetrators or anyone found with a firearm suspected to have been unlawfully obtained,” Ogbonna said.
Hoodlums had on Tuesday beheaded the ASP in Aba in what was believed to be retaliation for their kingpin gunned down by the police on April 23, 2023.
