Six Gunmen Neutralized, Operative Killed in Joint Anambra Security Raid
From Our Correspondent.
Six suspected members of an armed criminal syndicate were neutralized during a high-stakes joint security operation in Amiyi, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The early-morning Saturday raid was carried out by a combined force comprising the Nigeria Police Force’s Rapid Response Squad (Awkuzu), Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Army’s 302 Artillery Regiment (Onitsha), the Nigerian Navy, and local Agunachamba community operatives.
Acting on strategic intelligence, the team trekked through dense palm forest and rugged terrain for nearly four hours before arriving at the concealed criminal hideout. Upon sighting the advancing joint security forces, the gunmen opened heavy fire, triggering a prolonged gun battle.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, confirmed the outcome in a statement released on Sunday.
”At the end of the encounter, six suspected members of the armed group were neutralized, while others fled the area, with some reportedly sustaining gunshot injuries,” Tochukwu stated.
The security team recovered two pump-action shotguns and various charms from the site before dismantling the camp structures.
The success came at a heavy cost. One security operative lost his life and another sustained severe injuries when a planted explosive device detonated during the push through the criminal enclave. The injured operative is currently receiving emergency medical treatment in an undisclosed hospital.
Reacting to the development, Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, praised the courage and inter-agency collaboration demonstrated by the forces despite the treacherous terrain.
CP Ama offered his deep condolences to the fallen operative’s family and colleagues, assuring the public that joint intelligence-led operations will be sustained to prevent violent elements from establishing footholds across the state.
He further urged residents to continue providing timely intelligence to bolster local peace and security efforts.
