No fewer than three police officers were killed when gunmen attacked the Ogidi Area Command of the Nigeria Police in the Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State. The masked hoodlums invaded the police facility in large numbers in the early hours of Saturday, making the Ogidi attack the sixth assault on police facilities in Anambra in February 2023. Sources said the attackers opened fire indiscriminately as they approached the station, then threw explosive devices and petrol bombs into the building before gaining entry.
When our correspondent visited the area on Saturday, residents were seen lamenting the midnight attack in groups. One local landlord, Chief John Ezeudo, expressed worry that the sudden upsurge in attacks on security‑agency facilities in the state had yet to be addressed. “The continuous attacks on security facilities and the inability to halt this surge have given the hoodlums impunity to continue,” he said. “The midnight attack threw the community into panic and fear and kept us awake all night. It is high time the police came out of their comfort zone and tackled this rising menace before it consumes us. There is also a serious need for a total overhaul of the security architecture in Anambra.”
Similarly, the Deputy Coordinator of Ohanaeze in the state, Mr. Chidi Akama, criticized the security operatives, accusing them of abandoning their primary duty of protecting life and property. “We are witnessing an upsurge of attacks on security facilities because the police may have compromised in their duties. Although these hoodlums claim to act in the name of agitations, it is now up to the police to speak to them in a language they understand, which they have failed to do,” he said. “There is also a need for a serious overhaul of the security architecture in the state. The security operatives must leave their comfort zone to tackle this menace.”
Confirming the Ogidi incident, state police spokesman DSP Tochukwu Ikenga said the situation has been brought under control and that the police command remains resolute in enhancing the safety of life and property in the state. “The Anambra State Police Command has reinforced security in the Idemili North area following the attack on the Ogidi Area Command in the early hours of today, February 18, 2023, where three police operatives paid the supreme price,” he said. “We observe with grave concern the loss of lives and valuables as a result of this attack and call for calm. The police are resolute in depriving these criminal elements of the space they desire to perpetrate their evil acts and in enhancing the safety of life and property in the state. Meanwhile, the incident is being assessed and police operations are still ongoing.”
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