Two suspected gunmen who were reportedly causing panic among residents in Anambra state have been killed by operatives of the Anambra Vigilante Group.
The incident took place in Okija, located in Ihiala Local Government Area of the state during the early hours of Monday.
Ihiala LGA serves as a border town between Imo and Anambra states. The criminals had been allegedly terrorizing communities in the area and enforcing the Monday sit-at-home order by coercing residents to comply.
According to sources in the vicinity, approximately 15 gunmen raided the vigilante operatives’ camp, assuming they were asleep.
They attempted to open fire on the security officials, but the vigilantes swiftly mobilized and engaged them in a gun battle, successfully repelling the attackers.
One of the sources said, “At about 3:00 am today, some hoodlums launched an attack on Anambra Security Forces but were vehemently resisted.
“Two of the gunmen were gunned down during a hot exchange of fire and two AK-47 rifles were also recovered, while many fled the scene.
“Many of the gunmen who fled as they could not withstand the superior firepower of the security operatives, sustained various degrees of injury and bullet wounds, while members of Anambra Security Forces were unscathed.”
Christian Aburime, the Press Secretary to the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, acknowledged the occurrence of the incident and confirmed it through a statement.
Aburime said, “The need for a sane and secure environment in Anambra State remains a top priority of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration. Accordingly, security forces remain unrelenting in their resolve to protect the lives and property of ndị Anambra, travellers, and all residents alike.”
Some of the residents who spoke about the development expressed delight, saying the hoodlums have been terrorising the area for a long time now.
DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, the spokesperson for the Anambra State Police, verified the incident and emphasized the importance of cooperation from private and public hospitals. He urged medical facilities to promptly report any patients seeking treatment for bullet wounds.
Ikenga also stated that the police, in collaboration with the vigilante operatives, are actively engaged in a joint operation to apprehend the remaining members of the gang who may have sustained gunshot injuries or are attempting to evade capture.
“The AVG operatives repelled the attack in the early hours of today, 19/6/2023 at their office at Okija, demobilised two of the attackers, and recovered two Ak-47 rifles. No life was lost among the operatives and the AVG office is still intact.
“Also, the Command wants to use this opportunity to call on the proprietors of both private and public hospitals to admit but report all persons with gunshot or related injuries to the nearest police station.
“From what our men were able to find out, the fleeing suspects sustained bullet injuries, and we are working with AVG operatives to ensure we track them down.
“We are only calling on operators of private hospitals and managers of public hospitals in the area to be alert and report people with bullet injuries when they come for treatment.
“You may not entirely reject them, but upon admission, make sure you alert the police, so we can pick such a person and investigate the source of such a bullet injury,” Ikenga added.
