Anambra: Bank guard shot during police, sit-at-home enforcers gun duel

Armed men said to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, on Tuesday, shot a bank security guard during a shootout with the police operatives at Nkwo Market, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.

It was gathered that the armed men came out in large numbers on a motorbike and started shooting sporadically in an attempt to rob a bank and to enforce a sit-at-home order announced by a faction of IPOB.

Reacting to the development in a statement on Wednesday, the state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the hoodlums attempted to disrupt commercial activities and vehicular movement going on in Ihiala until a joint operative of police and other security forces responded swiftly and thwarted their move.

Ikenga said, “Following the improved operational and strategic positioning of men of the command, the joint security forces comprising of the Police and Military at about 12:30 pm on Tuesday dispersed illegal sit-at-home enforcers from the proscribed IPOB group and Eastern Security Network ESN in Nkwo market, Ihiala.

“The outlawed group members armed with guns and other dangerous weapons came out in their numbers on a motorbike and started shooting sporadically, in an attempt to rob a bank and to disrupt commercial activities and vehicular movement going on in Ihiala.

“The joint operatives responded swiftly which made the armed men abandon their plans and took to their heels. Unfortunately, due to the indiscriminate shootings by the armed group, a stray bullet hit the chief security officer of the bank on the leg and he has been taken to the hospital where he is currently receiving treatment. No life was lost.

“Meanwhile, calm has returned in the area as Police with other security forces have intensified patrols, and improved security dominance and surveillance in the state.”

He added that the feat was achieved through the improved operational and strategic positioning of both human and viable assets of the command as directed by the Commissioner of Police, Echeng Echeng.

“In the event of any request for security service, members of the public are advised to call the Command Control Room Number or the Public Relations Officer PRO,. The ‘npf rescue me app’ is also available for free download on both Android and Apple IOS, for Android and iPhone users respectively,” he added.