Gunmen have struck again in Anambra State, targeting a police station in Oba, Idemili North Local Government Area, resulting in the tragic death of a police corporal. This marks the third attack on police facilities in the state within recent weeks, following similar assaults in Nnewi and Nnobi, where several officers lost their lives.
The attack occurred early Tuesday morning when the assailants, suspected to be separatist elements, launched an assault on the Oba police station. Armed with petrol bombs, the gunmen set parts of the station on fire, including the Oba Civic Center. The police corporal, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, was fatally wounded during the attack and succumbed to his injuries.
Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident, stating that the gunmen attempted to storm the station by shooting sporadically and hurling petrol bombs at the facility. “The suspected armed secessionist group started shooting sporadically in an attempt to gain entrance to the police station and threw petrol bombs at the security facility, which set some offices ablaze,” Ikenga said.
He added that the fire was eventually extinguished with the help of other police officers and a joint security response team. The Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, condemned the attack, describing it as a direct assault on the nation’s security infrastructure. He vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice and emphasized that operations are already underway, with a police-led joint security task force, including the Army, Navy, and Civil Defence, conducting a sweep of Oba and its surrounding areas.
This latest incident underscores the escalating violence against security forces in Anambra State, raising concerns about the safety and stability of the region.
