Anambra State to Find Killers of Police Officers and Civilians

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

This incident took place on the Amansea, Ndiora, Ndiukwuenu, Awa, Ufuma Road as the convoy was returning from an official engagement. Nwankwo had gone for a function on behalf of Governor Soludo and was on his way back to Awka when the gunmen opened fire.

While the Chief of Staff managed to escape without injuries, two police officers and two civilians lost their lives. Some people in the convoy also sustained injuries during the gunfire, which lasted several minutes.

Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers were hiding in nearby bushes. They fired at the convoy as it approached, causing panic in the nearby communities.

The state Commissioner for Information and Value Orientation, Law Mefor, reacted to the incident. He said that the attack was shocking and condemned the killings.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mefor expressed sympathy for the families affected by the incident. He assured the public that security agencies are working hard to bring the attackers to justice.

The statement read, "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."

On Monday, the state Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, led a team of personnel from the Nigerian Army, the Anambra State Police Command and the Agunechemba Security Squad to the Ndiukwuenu community. This is where the attack took place.

The police commissioner assessed the crime scene, reassured the residents and supervised tactical teams sent to investigate the incident. Orutugu ordered a full-scale manhunt for the attackers and sent forensic teams 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 carry out attacks on nearby communities before retreating to the state capital.

The outfit’s publicity secretary, Nweke Nweke, stated that they have been watching the criminals 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."

He added, "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 mentioned that tips from residents have helped in the ongoing investigations. He also noted that the councillor, president-general and vice president-general of the Ndiukwuenu community are working with security operatives in the manhunt for 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, who was dressed in police camouflage, was arrested during the operation.