Six suspected members of an armed secessionist group have been killed during a gun battle with security operatives in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The Anambra State Police Command said the operation was conducted on Saturday by a joint security team comprising personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and community-based security operatives.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to him, the operation was launched based on credible intelligence on the activities of violent non-state actors operating in the area.
He said the operatives trekked for about four hours through difficult terrain and dense palm forests before reaching a suspected criminal camp in the interior part of Ogbaru.
Ikenga said the suspects opened fire on the security personnel upon sighting them, leading to a prolonged exchange of gunfire.
“At the end of the encounter, six suspected members of the armed group were neutralised, while others fled the area, with some reportedly sustaining gunshot injuries,” he said.
The security team recovered two pump-action guns and charms from the camps, which were subsequently dismantled.
However, the operation also resulted in the death of one security operative, while another sustained injuries after an explosive device suspected to have been planted in the area detonated.
The injured operative, according to the police, is currently receiving treatment in a hospital.
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Nnanna Oji, commended the security personnel and community-based operatives for their courage and professionalism during the operation.
Oji said the operation demonstrated the importance of intelligence sharing, inter-agency collaboration and community support in the fight against violent criminal groups.
He also condoled with the family and colleagues of the slain operative and wished the injured officer a speedy recovery.
The police commissioner assured residents that the command, working with other security agencies and stakeholders, would sustain intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling criminal camps, recovering illegal firearms and preventing violent groups from establishing operational bases across the state.
The command urged residents to remain vigilant and provide security agencies with timely and credible information to help maintain peace and security in Anambra.
(The Whistler)