Tragedy struck in the Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State on Tuesday morning when gunmen ambushed an army truck, killing two officers and injuring another.
The incident occurred around 8:10 am at the Amaja axis of Ogwu-Ikpele community.
According to an eyewitness, the truck, carrying five army officers, was en route to a location in the Ogwu-Ikpele community. The soldiers were reportedly escorting oil production workers from Ogwu-Ikpele to Umunzarabia when they were suddenly attacked.
The gunmen, who had laid an ambush, opened fire on the unsuspecting convoy, resulting in the fatalities and injuries before fleeing into a nearby bush.
“Five army officers conveying oil production workers from Ogwu-Ikpele to Umunzarabia location were ambushed at Amaja area of Ogwu-Ikpele by yet-to-be-identified gunmen. Two people were killed in the process while one person was injured,” the eyewitness recounted.
In response to the attack, the army has taken control of Ogwu-Ikpele, with reports of heavy shooting in the area.
The tense atmosphere has left residents in fear, anticipating potential reprisal attacks by the military.
The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, stated that the state police command was not yet aware of the incident and thus could not confirm the development.
Similarly, the army’s spokesman in the state, Lt. Col. Jonathan, neither confirmed nor denied the attack when contacted.
He promised to provide further information but had not responded to repeated calls and messages by the time of filing this report.
As the situation unfolds, residents of Ogwu-Ikpele remain on edge, hoping for a swift resolution to the violence that has disrupted their community.