Anambra Government to Capture Killers of Policemen and Civilians

The Anambra State Government has promised to find and punish the gunmen who killed two police officers and two civilians. This happened during an attack on the convoy of the Chief of Staff to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Chief Ben Nwankwo.

The attack took place on Sunday night along the Amansea, Ndiora, Ndiukwuenu, Awa, Ufuma Road. The assailants ambushed the convoy as it was returning from an official event.

Sources said Nwankwo was at a function on behalf of Governor Soludo and was heading back to Awka when the convoy was attacked with heavy gunfire.

While the Chief of Staff was unharmed, two police officers and two civilians were killed. Some members of the convoy also suffered injuries from the gunfire, which lasted several minutes.

Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers hid in nearby bushes and opened fire on the convoy as it got closer. This caused panic in the surrounding communities.

In response to the attack, Law Mefor, the state Commissioner for Information and Value Orientation, called the incident shocking and condemned the killings.

On Tuesday, Mefor released a statement that expressed the government's sympathy for the victims' families. He assured residents that security agencies were working hard to catch the attackers.

The statement said, “The Anambra State Government is shocked by the attack on the convoy of the Chief of Staff to the Governor on Sunday night, May 31, 2026, between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Orumba North, Awka South border while returning from an official assignment.

“This was more than an attack on one person. It was an attack on the peace, security and democratic order of our state, as well as the government and people of Anambra.

“Sadly, four people lost their lives and deserve justice.

“The Anambra State Government sends its deepest condolences to the families of those who died and shares in their grief.

“The police and other security agencies are working to find and bring everyone involved in this evil act to justice.

“This isolated incident, coming after more than one year of relative peace and security in the state, will not weaken our determination to eliminate all forms of crime from Anambra.”

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, on Monday led a joint team of the Nigerian Army, Anambra State Police Command, and the Agunechemba Security Squad to the Ndiukwuenu community in Orumba North Local Government Area, where the attack happened.

The police chief assessed the crime scene, reassured the residents, and supervised tactical teams sent to investigate the incident.

Orutugu ordered a full manhunt for the attackers and directed the use of special forensic tools to assist in the investigation.

He also criticized community leaders, including the councillor and president-general, for not quickly reporting suspicious activities to security agencies.

He said, “This is an on-the-spot assessment of the crime scene to personally evaluate the situation.

“A full-scale manhunt and the deployment of specialised forensic assets to track the perpetrators have been put in place.

“We charge the local community to work closely with the Rapid Response Squad of the Command to facilitate the arrest and prosecution of those behind the attack through intelligence gathering.”

Officials from the Agunechemba Security Squad, who were with the police commissioner, said the attackers operate from Awka. They use a white SUV to attack nearby communities before returning to the state capital.

Nweke Nweke, the outfit’s publicity secretary, said they have been watching the suspects closely.

“We have kept a close watch on these criminals, and we can state categorically that they are not residents of the area. They come from Awka, carry out their operations in a guerrilla-style manner, and then retreat to the capital city.

“This is largely because our outfit has intensified operations within Awka, making it difficult for them to perpetrate their criminal activities there. As a result, they now target neighbouring communities close to the capital.

“We are already working in collaboration with other security agencies through joint patrol operations to nip the crime in the bud. Significant progress has been made in intelligence gathering, and this indicates that we are closing in on the perpetrators,” he said.

Nweke added that tips from residents have greatly helped the ongoing investigations.

He mentioned that the councillor, president-general, and vice president-general of the Ndiukwuenu community are now working with security operatives to find the attackers.

During the operation, security personnel took control of key areas in the community and searched nearby bushes for the gunmen's hideouts.

One suspect, believed to be dressed in police camouflage, was arrested during the operation.