Police hunt gunmen for killing two Anambra cops

The Anambra State Police Command says it has launched a manhunt for yet-to-be-identified gunmen who killed two police officers in the Nnewi North Local Government Area of the state on Thursday.

PUNCH Online reported on Thursday that two police operatives were killed by unidentified gunmen in Uruagu, a community in the Nnewi North Local Government Area.

The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday while the officers were on investigation duties.

Eyewitnesses had reported that the assailants launched a surprise attack on the police officers, leading to a fierce gun battle.

The attackers had reportedly hurled an improvised explosive device at the police team, which exploded, killing two officers instantly.

Giving an update on the incident in a statement on Thursday, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, urged the public to provide the command with information that could assist in identifying the suspects.

In his words, “Joint Security Force begins a manhunt operation on the armed men who murdered two police operatives on investigation activities in the early hours of today, 3/10/2024, at Uruagu, Nnewi North.

“Preliminary information reveals that the armed men started shooting sporadically on sighting the police operatives and threw an improvised explosive into their operational vehicle. Unfortunately, two of the operatives paid the supreme price when the vehicle caught fire.

“Given the above, the command calls on members of the public, especially the eyewitnesses and other sundries, to aid the ongoing police operations in the area.”

Attacks on security agencies have been on the rise in many parts of the South-East especially Anambra State in recent time. PUNCH Metro reported on September 16 that some unidentified assailants attacked the Umunze Police Station in Orumba South Local Government Area of the state.

Some sources and residents in the area said the assailants stormed the police facility in the early hours of the day, shooting several times into the air before forcefully gaining entrance into the premises.

According to the sources, during the attack, some police officers were shot dead as the assailants caught them unawares. Some parts of the premises were set ablaze using improvised explosive devices.