Two officers were shot dead by suspected assailants at Uga roundabout, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra, on Thursday evening.
The State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Toochulwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement, on Friday.
Ikenga said the gunmen were disguised in military fatigue.
He said the gunmen, said to be on a kidnap mission, were operating in the area when a team of policemen attached to a motorcade but unaware of their presence, ran into them.
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The Policemen were trying to clear the traffic gridlock, but the armed men who sensed danger, shot two of them dead and fled the scene after a duel following response from other personnel.
Meanwhile, Aderemi Adeoye, Commissioner of Police in Anambra, has directed an intensive manhunt for the assailants.
Ikenga said a Police-led mobile Forward Operating Base, which had been on intensive patrol of the entire area throughout Christmas celebrations, promptly responded to the scene.
He narrated that a Lexus SUV the gang used, and an AK-47 RIFLE belonging to one of the slain personnel were recovered while an improvised explosive device found in the vehicle was recovered and defused.
According to him, they opened fire on the officers who had moved ahead of the motorcade they were escorting to decongest traffic gridlock, other personnel returned fire forcing the bandits to flee.
“The CP Aderemi Adeoye had declared the weekend and Christmas holidays as special working days for all officers and men in the command, he commended all personnel for their tireless and courageous effort in securing the people of Anambra State.
“The CP has urged all officers and men of Anambra State Police Command to redouble their efforts and remain vigilant while assuring that technology would be employed to track down the criminals who unleashed the attack on Police personnel,” Ikenga said.
Ikenga said the CP has urged personnel in the Command not to be demoralised by the supreme price paid by their colleagues, but draw inspiration from their bravery in confronting the criminal gang.
The CP condoled with the families of the deceased officers and Enugu State Police Command, as well as ensured that the personnel did not die in vain.
Adeoye called for calm and encouraged the people of Anambra not to allow the incident to create fear in their minds, but to continue with various activities they had slated for the yuletide season.
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