BARELY one week after a gunman attacked worshippers at St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu, [HERE] gunmen again yesterday struck in the commercial town of Onitsha, killing a policeman and a civilian near the Assemblies of God Church along Oguta road in the heart of the town.
An eyewitness said that the gunmen had sighted the policemen close to the church and opened fire on them, which made other policemen to abandon their patrol vehicle to run to safety. It was gathered that when the policemen ran away, the gunmen moved to the police patrol van and collected the gun allegedly belonging to the policeman they killed.
Another eyewitness, said the gunmen were riding a motorcycle when the one sitting at the back shot a policeman and collected his rifle and also shot another Okada man while escaping.
Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Garba Umar confirmed the incident, explaining that it was not targeted at the church. The CP said:
“My men were on patrol near the church when they were attacked by some gunmen. It was not an attack on the church, in the real sense of it”.
He also confirmed that the hoodlums took away a rifle belonging to the slain cop.
the Anambra Police Public Relations Officer, Princess Nkiru Nwode also confirmed that the Onitsha incidence has nothing to do with church attack. She reportedly said the attack was on policemen who were on foot patrol along Oguta Road Onitsha.
According to her, the attackers were hoodlums who disquised themselves as masquerades to dispossess innocent citizens of their belongings and in the process killed a police man and injured some others.
Recall that in an effort to ensure safer society, the government of Anambra State recently launched Motorbike Brigade in addition to several other Security Units that maintain regular patrol of our communities.
May the soul of deceased officer who died in active duty find eternal peace.
No comments