Some yet-to-be-identified assailants have gunned down staff members of US Embassy in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The convoy of US Embassy officials said to be on a humanitarian mission to the area came under fire as they were passing through the area.
A security source said the officials wanted to connect their destination through Ogbaru before they were ambushed and shot at.
“At least four persons were killed in the attack while others sustained injuries. Troops have taken over the community,” the source explained.
Giving further insight of the attack, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, Police Public Relations Officer, said two policemen and two officials of the US Consulate were murdered.
In a statement, the command spokesman said the incident happened along Atani, Osamale road in Ogbaru LGA around 3:30pm.
“The Joint Security Forces have embarked on a rescue/recovery operation in Ogbaru LGA, following an attack on a convoy of staff of U S Consulate today 16/5/2023 by 3:30 pm along Atani, Osamale road. The hoodlums murdered two of the PMF operatives, and two staff of the Consulate, and set their bodies ablaze and their vehicles.
“Also, the arsonist/murderers on sighting the responding joint security forces abducted two Police operatives, the driver of the second vehicle and took to their heels. No U S citizen was in the convoy.
“The Command, while reacting to the situation regrets that a convoy of such or any related will enter the state without recourse to the police in the area or any security agency, assured that the battle against the insurgents in the State is focused and it will remain sustained until such a time security stability is fully restored,” the statement read.
The US mission Nigeria also confirmed the incident, saying its personnel were collaborating with Nigerian security operatives to get to the root of the matter.
“We confirm there was an incident on May 16 in Anambra state. U.S. Mission Nigeria personnel are working with Nigerian security services to investigate. The security of our personnel is always paramount, and we take extensive precautions when organising trips to the field. We have no further comment at this time,” a US Mission Nigeria spokesperson explained.
Anambra is one of the South Eastern States with high levels of violence in recent times.
Security operatives have blamed attacks on the ‘unknown gunmen’ believed to be linked to outlawed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN), its armed wing, but the group has repeatedly denied the allegation.
