By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Yet-to-be-identified gunmen have attacked the Ogbaru Local Government Secretariat in Anambra State.
The incident was said to have happened in the early hours of Saturday, and was attributed to the members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the militant arm of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB).
While details about the incident remain sketchy, reports have it that there were no casualties in the attack; while some vehicles were set on fire.
This was corroborated by videos currently circulating online, which show several vehicles engulfed in flames within the premises of the deserted Local Government Headquarters.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, said a total of four vehicles belonging to the vigilantes operatives were destroyed by the arsonists.
According to him, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, condemned and described the attack as an act of cowardice.
The Police Spokesman, in a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday, said preliminary information that the assailants, arriving in large numbers on motorcycles and a vehicle, began shooting indiscriminately.
He said the arsonists faced strong resistance from the Vigilante Operatives until the police response team arrived; adding that the gunmen consequently fled the scene due to the superior firepower of the security operatives.
“Unfortunately, four operational vehicles of the security operatives were engulfed in flames and severely damaged.
“In response to this incident, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations led a joint security force comprising the Army, Navy, and other security agencies to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment. Ongoing onslaught operations are being carried out to apprehend the culprits.
“The Commissioner of Police commends the security operatives for their bravery and assures the public of continued and strengthened collaboration in the fight against criminal elements in the State. Further developments will be communicated as they arise,” he said.
