Categories: metro

Anambra: Gunmen kill two soldiers, burn secretariat, court, 32 vehicles

Gunmen

Gunmen went on the rampage in Anambra State between Sunday and Monday as they killed two soldiers, kidnapped a lawmaker, set ablaze a local government secretariat, an office of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, a magistrate’s court building as well as over 32 vehicles.

The attacks came less than three days after the state Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, visited the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, in the custody of the Department of State Services.

The gunmen on Sunday shot dead a vigilante at the Eke Oko community in the Aguata Local Government Area.

The victim, who was on a motorcycle, was putting on a mobile police T-shirt when the gunmen overtook and shot him dead.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Toochukwu Ikenga, said policemen recovered the victim’s lifeless body.

“Preliminary information shows that the yet-to-be-identified victim is not a member of the Nigeria Police Force,” he added.

Gunmen also stormed the Idemili North LGA secretariat in Ogidi on the same night and set ablaze the secretariat office and a magistrate’s court on the council premises.

Sources said the hoodlums burnt all files and property in the secretariat.

Over 32 vehicles parked inside the secretariat were also reportedly razed.

The police spokesman, Ikenga, attributed the incident to unidentified arsonists.

It was gathered that the gunmen proceeded to the Ogidi district office of the EEDC, not far from the secretariat and set it ablaze.

Our correspondent learnt that about 32 utility and operational vehicles were burnt during the incident, including other assets and equipment on the premises.

It was also gathered that having gained access to the office complex by pulling down part of the wall, the criminals attacked a security guard manning the office.

They reportedly inflicted machete cuts on the guard’s head, leg and arm, as they demanded his gun, while his other colleagues ran for their lives.

Confirming the incident, the Head, Corporate Communications, EEDC, Mr Emeka Ezeh, expressed displeasure that efforts made to reach the Anambra State Fire Service did not yield any positive result.

Ezeh said members of staff who were on ground were helpless, as they watched the office building and other assets go up in flames.

He said, “It later took the intervention of the Commissioner for Utilities, Mr Julius Chukwuemeka, around 9.05am to bring the fire service team down to the scene of the incident.

“This is a big loss to EEDC, and a great setback to the efforts being made by the company to strengthen its network and improve the quality of service to its customers within Ogidi and Anambra State at large.”

In another development, a group of gunmen kidnapped a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Dr Okechukwu Okoye.

The lawmaker, popularly known as Okey Di Okay, was kidnapped late on Sunday while driving in his Sienna car.

Confirming the incident, the police spokesman, Ikenga, said the lawmaker’s black Sienna bus, which he was driving before the incident, had been recovered, adding that the command had launched a manhunt for the kidnappers with the aim of rescuing him.