Two staff of the United States Embassy in Nigeria and two policemen were on Tuesday shot dead near Atani in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State by unidentified gunmen.
Sources said the convoy of the embassy officials came under fire as they were passing through the area
Some say they were on humanitarian mission to the area while another source said the attacked officials wanted to connect their destination through Ogbaru.
A security source also told TNC correspondent that at least four persons were killed in the attack while others sustained injuries and that troops have taken over the community.
The US mission Nigeria has 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 organizing trips to the field. We have no further comment at this time,” a US Mission Nigeria spokesperson said in response to inquiries.
Details of the attack were not available as of the time of filing this report, but DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra, confirmed the incident.
He said a police team led by the deputy commissioner of police in charge of operations has been deployed to arrest the situation.
“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, Ossomala road.
“The hoodlums murdered two of the Police Mobile Force PMF operatives, and two staff of the Consulate, and set their bodies ablaze and their vehicles.
“Also, the arsonist/murderers were suspected to be members proscribed Indigenous people of Biafra, IPOB and Eastern Security Network, ESN on sighting the responding joint security forces abducted two Police operatives, the driver of the second vehicle and took to their heels.
“No US citizen was in the convoy,” he said.
Regretting that such a convoy will enter the state without recourse to the police in the area or any security agency, Ikenga however assured that the battle against the insurgents in the state is focused and will be sustained until security stability is fully restored.
