The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the death of four people in a bomb explosion at the secretariat of the Ihiala Local Government Area of the state in the early hours of Thursday.
The police spokesman in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed the incident on a statement, said unknown gunmen had initially engaged the local vigilante guarding the secretariat in a gun duel before gaining entrance into the premises.
Ikenga said three vigilante operatives on duty were killed with one beheaded, while five buildings were set ablaze with IED and petrol bombs.
“Following the Police/Military operations ongoing in ihaila and its neighboring town, the Operatives responding to a distress call at about 2:55 am, today, 12/1/2023, of an attack on Ihiala local government headquarters, neutralize one of the attackers, recovered two locally made IED luncher, seven undenoted IED, forty pieces of live cartridges, fifteen live 7.62MM Ak47 ammunition, knives, charms, and other dangerous weapons.
“The attackers had already murdered three vigilante operatives on duty, beheaded one and set five buildings ablaze with IED and petrol bombs.
“The joint force operatives engaged the arsonist/attackers, and obstructed them from causing further damages, while some escaped with bullet wounds,” the police spokesman said.
“The hoodlums set fire on many of the buildings at the secretariat, including the administrative block, Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC], Health office building, Youth Corpers [NYSC] office, Education Office and National Civil Defense Office,” he added.
