A major security operation in Anambra State has left one armed hoodlum dead and several others on the run following a coordinated raid on a criminal hideout in Agulu-ezechukwu, Aguata Local Government Area.
Security agencies stormed the gang’s camp on Thursday morning, leading to a prolonged gun battle that lasted over seven hours. Superintendent Tochukwu Ikenga, spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Friday.
“The joint security force in the well-coordinated operation overran the criminal camp after a seven-hour gun duel with the armed hoodlums,” Mr Ikenga stated. “The operatives are still combing the area for possible arrest of other fleeing suspects because of a lot of fresh blood stains in the area.”
The operation involved personnel from the Nigerian Police, Army, Navy, State Security Service (SSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and local vigilante groups.
Items recovered from the scene include a Toyota Sienna, an unregistered Mazda Hilux, a motorcycle, cooking pots, jerrycans, foodstuffs, mattresses, mechanical tools and various items of clothing, according to the police.
The security raid came hours after a separate attack in the state where gunmen invaded a vigilante facility and killed one operative. Although the two incidents occurred around the same period, it remains unclear if they are linked.
Anambra, like many states in Nigeria’s South-east, has seen a disturbing rise in violent attacks, with security operatives, government assets and civilians frequently targeted.
The federal government continues to accuse the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of orchestrating many of the attacks. However, IPOB has consistently denied involvement, insisting its agitation for a sovereign Biafra remains peaceful.
Tensions across the South-east have intensified in recent years, with residents repeatedly calling for stronger government intervention and community-based solutions to curb the wave of insecurity.
