The incident occurred during the early hours of Monday in Okija, located in the Ihiala Local Government Area.
The Ihiala LGA is a border town between Imo and Anambra states, and the hoodlums were said to have been terrorising members of the communities around the areas and also forcing them to comply with the Monday sit-at-home.
According to sources in the area, the gunmen, numbering about 15, stormed the camp of the vigilante operatives, thinking they were asleep and attempted to open fire on them before the security officials quickly mobilised and repelled them in a gun battle.
A local source recounted the events, stating, “At about 3:00 am today, some hoodlums launched an attack on Anambra Security Forces but were vehemently resisted.
“Two of the gunmen were gunned down during a hot exchange of fire, and two AK-47 rifles were also recovered, while many fled the scene.
“Many of the gunmen who fled as they could not withstand the superior firepower of the security operatives, sustained various degrees of injury and bullet wounds, while members of Anambra Security Forces were unscathed.”
Christian Aburime, the Press Secretary to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, confirmed the incident in a statement, “The need for a sane and secure environment in Anambra State remains a top priority of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration. Accordingly, security forces remain unrelenting in their resolve to protect the lives and property of ndị Anambra, travellers, and all residents alike.”
Residents expressed relief at the news, as the hoodlums had been terrorizing the Okija area for an extended period.
Chinwendu, a resident, revealed, “The hoodlums had been terrorizing Okija for a long time. Most of the time, they come in the name of enforcing the Monday sit-at-home and use it to unleash mayhem.
“This is the reason the people in the area constituted a security committee. And we thank God that the initiative has started yielding results. Our people are determined to succeed in this project.”
The Anambra State Police spokesperson, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident and urged private and public hospitals to report any individuals seeking treatment for bullet wounds. Ikenga stated, “The AVG operatives repelled the attack in the early hours of today, 19/6/2023, at their office in Okija, demobilized two of the attackers, and recovered two AK-47 rifles. No life was lost among the operatives, and the AVG office remains intact.
“The Command wants to use this opportunity to call on the proprietors of private and public hospitals to admit but report all persons with gunshot or related injuries to the nearest police station.”
He further added that the police were collaborating with the vigilante operatives to apprehend the fleeing gang members who sustained gunshot injuries.
The spokesperson emphasized the importance of alerting the police when treating individuals with bullet wounds to facilitate investigations into the source of the injuries. Ikenga advised, “You may not entirely reject them, but upon admission, make sure you alert the police, so we can pick such a person and investigate the source of such a bullet injury.”
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