Anambra to hunt killers of two policemen, civilians

The Anambra State Government has vowed to track down and prosecute the gunmen responsible for the killing of two police officers and two civilians during an attack on the convoy of the Chief of Staff to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Chief Ben Nwankwo. The attack occurred on Sunday night along the Amansea–Ndiora–Ndiukwuenu–Awa–Ufuma Road when the assailants ambushed the convoy as it was returning from an official assignment. Sources said Nwankwo had attended a function on behalf of Governor Soludo and was travelling back to Awka when the convoy came under heavy gunfire. While the Chief of Staff escaped unhurt, two police officers and two civilians were killed. Some members of the entourage also sustained injuries during the exchange of gunfire, which reportedly lasted several minutes. Eyewitnesses said the attackers, who had concealed themselves in nearby bushes, opened fire on the convoy as it approached, causing panic in surrounding communities. Reacting to the incident, the state Commissioner for Information and Value Orientation, Law Mefor, described the attack as shocking and condemned the killings. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Mefor said the government sympathised with the families of the victims and assured residents that security agencies were working to bring the perpetrators to justice. The statement read, “The Anambra State Government is shocked by the attack on the convoy of the Chief of Staff to the Governor on Sunday night, May 31, 2026, between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Orumba North–Awka South border while returning from an official assignment. “This was more than an attack on one person. It was an attack on the peace, security and democratic order of our state, as well as the government and people of Anambra. “Sadly, four people lost their lives and deserve justice. “The Anambra State Government sends its deepest condolences to the families of those who died and shares in their grief. “The police and other security agencies are working to find and bring everyone involved in this evil act to justice. “This isolated incident, coming after more than one year of relative peace and security in the state, will not weaken our determination to eliminate all forms of crime from Anambra.” Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, on Monday led a joint team comprising personnel of the Nigerian Army, the Anambra State Police Command and the Agunechemba Security Squad to the Ndiukwuenu community in Orumba North Local Government Area, where the attack occurred. The police boss carried out an on-the-spot assessment of the crime scene,