A combined team of policemen and soldiers’ yesterday’s afternoon repelled an attack by unknown gunmen at Odoata Primary School, Ihiala, where the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, was scheduled to organize a campaign rally for the November sixth gubernatorial election in Anambra State.
The gunmen came on various motorcycles and in three vehicles, namely, a Toyota Lexus 350 ES with registration number EKY 765 EX, Toyota RAV4 with number JJJ 434FP and a Ford van, whose number could not be ascertained at the time of this report because it caught fire during the exchange of bullets between the gun men and security forces.
The gunmen, unable to withstand the superior fire power of the soldiers and police officers, quickly ran into the large premises of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, which is directly opposite the campaign ground.
According to an eye witness, who pleaded to remain anonymity, they suffered serious injuries, even though they managed to shoot a gallant soldier.
Security forces, who recovered all three vehicles and motorcycles used by the gunmen, were searching the area by the time of filing this report.
The Anambra State Police Command has requested the people in the area to help look out for people with gunshots and report them.
It has also asked hospitals and other health facilities in both Ihiala Local Government Area and neighbouring communities in Imo State to report to security agencies patients with gun wounds.
Meanwhile, Governor Willie Obiano has commended police officers and soldiers who repelled the attack for their gallantry.
Speaking to journalists at Atani in Ogbaru LGA where he led a large crowd of APGA faithful to welcome the APGA governorship candidate in the forthcoming election, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, Governor Obiano described the response of the security men as professional and patriotic while Professor Soludo expressed sympathy for innocent victims of the attack, pleading with every aggrieved person to lay down his or her weapon and opt for dialogue to resolve all differences in the interest of Ndi Anambra.
Comments are closed for this post.