In a fresh wave of violence, gunmen attacked the Oba Police Divisional Headquarters and the Oba Civic Centre in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State on Tuesday morning, leaving several police officers seriously injured and three feared dead. The attackers, suspected to be members of a secessionist group terrorizing the Southeast region, also set parts of the police station and the civic center on fire using petrol bombs.
The attack occurred around the early hours of September 3, 2024, with the gunmen shooting sporadically in an attempt to gain entry into the police facility. Although police authorities officially confirmed the death of a Corporal during the attack, a senior police officer speaking anonymously revealed that three officers were killed.
Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in a statement released in Awka. He described the attackers as an armed secessionist group and condemned the violence. "The Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, while condemning the act, described the invasion of security facilities and hostility towards security agents as an attack on the soul of the nation and vows to bring those behind the unholy act to book," Ikenga stated.
The incident marks a troubling resurgence of attacks on police formations in Anambra State, which had seen a relative lull in such violence until recently. Last week, a leader of the secessionist group reportedly circulated a voice note on social media, calling for a one-month sit-at-home order in the region.
The attack on the Oba police station and civic center has heightened concerns about the escalating insecurity in the Southeast, with many citizens and security personnel on edge as they brace for further incidents. The Anambra State Police Command has vowed to intensify efforts to apprehend the perpetrators and restore order in the affected areas.
