Security operatives kill four gunmen, recover bombs

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Security operatives have killed four gunmen in Anambra State during a deadly crackdown on hoodlums in the state.

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Tochukwu Ikenga, the police spokesperson in Anambra State, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said the armed men were killed on Tuesday during a confrontation between them and the joint security team along Ogboji–Ajalli Road in Orumba South Local Government Area of the state.

“During the operation, security operatives neutralised four members of the armed gang and recovered a cache of weapons, ammunition, explosive devices, and other incriminating items,” he said.

The spokesperson said police personnel led the operation but did not mention other security agencies involved.

He said the operation was carried out during a visibility and confidence-building patrol following a tip-off about the movement of heavily armed suspected members of a secessionist armed group operating in a Toyota Sienna vehicle.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that other members of the gang fled into the surrounding bushes with varying degrees of gunshot injuries.

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“Consequently, the Joint Security Team has intensified its operations in the area, including extensive combing and search efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspects and recover additional weapons and operational equipment,” he said.

Recovered items

Mr Ikenga said one General Purpose Machine Gun with 53 rounds of linked live ammunition, two AK-47 rifles, two magazines, 21 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammunition, and 13 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition were among the items recovered from the gunmen.

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Others were four undetonated Improvised Explosive Devices, police camouflage uniforms and accessories, a white Toyota Sienna bus, 10 Android phones, two feature phones, a laptop computer, and a Point-of-Sale machine.

Two power banks, charms, two live cartridges, ATM cards, a national identification card, and a driver’s licence belonging to identified individuals were also recovered from the hoodlums.

The spokesperson said the police authorities in Anambra have reiterated their commitment to sustaining proactive, intelligence-led, and results-oriented operations against criminals terrorising residents of the state, in collaboration with other security agencies.