Gunmen have killed a passer-by during an attack in Anambra State, Nigeria’s south-east.
The incident happened on Friday night at Amesi, a community in Aguata Local Government Area of the state, PREMIUM TIMES gathered.
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The attackers also razed some vehicles belonging to vigilante operatives in the area.
How it happened
Residents told this newspaper that the hoodlums invaded the community, opened fire on the vigilante office and set various vehicles ablaze within the area.
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“They were shooting heavily at the vigilante office and one man who was passing through the area was killed by a stray bullet,” one resident, who asked not to be named, said.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the slain victim, Chinonso Nnaka, hailed from Udo Village in Akpo, a neighbouring community within the council area.
Police speak
The police in Anambra State confirmed the attack in a statement on Saturday evening.
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Tochukwu Ikenga, the police spokesperson in the state, however, claimed no life was lost in the attack.
Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, claimed security operatives engaged the hoodlums in a shootout during the attack.
“Unfortunately four patrol vehicles and two motorcycles were burnt as a result of the gun duel by security operatives resisting the armed hoodlums from gaining entrance,” he said.
The spokesperson said police operatives have been deployed to the area to ensure security and safety of residents.
He said calm had returned to the Amesi Community after a joint security team intensified offensive operations in the area.
“The situation is being closely monitored and further developments would be communicated accordingly,” he said.
Not the first
This is not the first time gunmen would attack a security facility in the South-east which has witnessed attacks in recent years.
However, the latest attack occurred after months of calm in Anambra since the governor of the state, Charles Soludo, launched a new security outfit and operation in the state.
No group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack but the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been blamed for the deadly attacks in the South-east.
However, the separatist group has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks.
IPOB is leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the south-east and some parts of the south-south Nigeria.
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