Tension gripped Anambra State on Sunday night after unknown gunmen reportedly opened fire on the convoy of the Chief of Staff to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, leaving two police officers dead after a fierce gun battle.
The deadly attack reportedly occurred along the Ndiukwuenu–Amansea Road, where the armed assailants ambushed the convoy and began shooting sporadically, triggering panic in the area.
Eyewitness accounts and a viral video recorded by a tricycle operator who claimed to have witnessed the incident showed a deserted Hilux vehicle at the scene, alongside the lifeless bodies of the slain officers.
The attack was later confirmed by the spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who disclosed that the officers were attached to the convoy escorting the Chief of Staff when the gunmen struck.
According to him, the security operatives immediately engaged the attackers in a gun duel to protect the principal and other occupants of the convoy from harm.
“Two of our officers were fatally wounded as a result of trying to repel an attack on the convoy of the Chief of Staff. As a result of that, they paid the supreme price, in order to make sure that the other members of the convoy were able to escape with the Principal,” the PPRO stated.
The police spokesman added that despite the deadly attack, members of the convoy, including the Chief of Staff, escaped safely.
Following the incident, security operatives reportedly launched an intensive manhunt for the attackers, while the area has been cordoned off as investigations continue.
SP Ikenga also appealed to members of the public to remain calm and provide useful information that could help security agencies track down the gunmen.
When asked whether the incident was a targeted assassination attempt on Governor Soludo’s Chief of Staff, the police spokesman dismissed the claim, insisting that the attack appeared to be a criminal operation rather than a premeditated assassination plot.
“For me, it was not an assassination attempt. This is more like criminals trying to attack someone. It was not that he was pre-targeted per se. He was attacked just like any other person can be attacked. That was what happened,” he explained.
The latest attack has once again heightened concerns over insecurity and violent attacks in parts of Anambra State, despite ongoing security operations across the state.
