Gunmen in Anambra State have attacked another police station, this time in Oba, Idemili North Local Government Area. This marks the third recent assault on police facilities in the state, following attacks in Nnewi and Nnobi in August, where several officers were killed.
The Anambra State police have confirmed the latest attack, reporting that a police corporal was killed after gunmen suspected to be separatist elements threw a petrol bomb into the station. Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, stated that the assailants fired shots in an attempt to enter the police station and threw petrol bombs, setting several offices and the Oba Civic Center on fire.
Despite the loss of the police corporal, officers on duty and a joint security response team were able to extinguish the fire. SP Ikenga also mentioned that joint security forces, including the Army, Navy, Civil Defence, and other agencies, have begun operations in Oba and the surrounding areas to track down the perpetrators.
Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, condemned the attack, describing it as an invasion of security facilities and an act of hostility towards law enforcement, equating it to an attack on the nation itself. He pledged to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.