Tension As Gunmen Gun Down Police, Others During Shootout

Gunmen suspected to be terrorists have reportedly killed a Nigeria Police Force officer and two civilians in a recent attack in Nnewi, Anambra State.

The attackers, driving a red Highlander jeep, engaged security operatives in a shootout on Monday.

In a press release on Tuesday, Tochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Anambra Command, disclosed that the police pursued the criminals after they kidnapped a person in Nnewi.

“During the gun duel, one of the security operatives was fatally hit by a bullet. Due to the indiscriminate shootings by the hoodlums in an attempt to escape the scene, the bullet also fatally struck two innocent passersby in the area,” Ikenga stated.

“The Police Responding Team at the scene recovered the bodies of the victims and took them to the hospital, but regrettably, three of the victims, including a 22-year-old lady, were confirmed dead by the doctors on duty, while two others are currently receiving treatment,” he added.

Reacting to the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Nnaghe Itam, described the assailants as “cowards who have murdered sleep.” He expressed his sympathy for the families of the deceased and vowed to secure justice for the “heroic act of the murdered vigilantes operative and unsuspecting members at the scene.”

The police commissioner also called on the public, especially eyewitnesses, to assist security operatives with information regarding the ongoing operation.