Crime
Gunmen attack soldiers, kill 4, burn patrol vehicles
In a brazen attack this weekend, bandits ambushed soldiers patrolling the Gudu Local Government Area of Sokoto State, claiming the lives of four soldiers and leaving others injured.
The ambush took place along the Kukurau-Bangi road, where the assailants not only opened fire on the unsuspecting troops but also set two of their patrol vehicles ablaze.
Yahya Gudu, the local representative in the state House of Assembly, confirmed the shocking incident. “Yes, it’s true. Gunmen ambushed soldiers on Saturday, killing four and injuring two. They also burned their patrol vehicles,” he reported.
The attack has sent ripples of fear through the community, with Gudu conveying the disheartening news to Governor Ahmed Aliyu, who promptly dispatched reinforcements to the area.
A local resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, recounted the terrifying scene as the bandits roared through their community on 20 motorcycles, each carrying two heavily armed criminals.
“They didn’t touch or kidnap anyone in our neighborhood; they just passed through. Then we heard the gunshots,” he said.
“As we later learned, they had laid an ambush for the patrolling soldiers, resulting in four fatalities. Their bodies were eventually recovered by their comrades.”
He recounted a more sinister context, revealing that just a week prior, the same bandits had taken the lives of seven individuals in their community while pursuing vigilantes.
“They remain hidden in the bush nearby, meeting daily by a stream to discuss their plans. We’ve informed security forces about their presence, but our calls for help have gone unanswered. Perhaps it’s because the bandits are now armed with more sophisticated weapons,” he lamented.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Violent Crime Response Unit of the Anambra State Police Command has uncovered and destroyed an armoury belonging to suspected separatist gunmen at Owerre-Ezukala in Orumba South Local Government Area.
The operation, led by Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Orebe Chidubem Matthew, followed intelligence obtained from a member of the gang currently in police custody.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the police disclosed that the camp had previously been dislodged by a Joint Task Force on security operations. However, some members of the gang who escaped during the earlier raid reportedly regrouped and attempted to resume operations.
According to the statement, items recovered from the armoury include one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) with about 2,000 rounds of live chain ammunition, two fabricated rocket launchers with 25 propellers, 10 locally-made Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), one locally-made Beretta pistol, two pump-action guns, three hand grenades, 10 rounds of K2 live ammunition, one gas cylinder, and one black Ecolac box.
“Recall that the camp was earlier destroyed by a Joint Security Team. Before the confession by the suspect in custody, intelligence had been received over time on how some escaped gang members were attempting to regroup. However, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit resisted and dismantled the camp following a gun duel with the unrepentant members,” the statement read.
The police further stated that some of the armed suspects fled the scene with varying degrees of bullet injuries sustained during the exchange of gunfire.
Further investigations revealed that the suspect in custody confessed to involvement in several violent attacks across Anambra State, including attacks on police facilities, the killing of security personnel comprising police, military, and civil defence officers, attacks on government facilities, and the murder of security operatives on stop-and-search duties on various roads in the state.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, noted that with the establishment of the Violent Crime Response Unit, operatives of the command are now better positioned and more motivated to sustain offensive operations against criminal elements threatening the peace and security of the state.
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