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LAGOS, Nigeria - At least two gunmen have been confirmed dead, and one police officer sustained various injuries during confrontations in Anambra State.
The clash, which lasted for several minutes, saw the gunmen set fire to a police patrol vehicle after attacking law enforcement personnel at a security checkpoint in the Isuofia area of the state.
SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the spokesperson for the Command, verified the incident to reporters on Friday.
He explained that the conflict erupted when the gunmen sought to overpower the policemen and take control of the checkpoint.
The officers resisted the assault, leading to clashes that caused alarm among local residents.
According to the statement, "An Anambra Joint Security Team member successfully repelled an attack by armed criminals at the Security checkpoint in Isuofia in the late evening of May 15, 2025.
Two of the armed assailants were neutralized during the altercation. Unfortunately, one security operative suffered fatal injuries, and one of the security vehicles was destroyed by the bandits.
During the subsequent gunfire, the Joint Security Team's superior firepower forced the criminals to abandon one of their operational vehicles, a Toyota Sienna, and flee the scene.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, condemned the incident, calling it a test of the collective resolve of the Ndi Anambra people to collaborate with security forces in rooting out and eliminating criminals in the area.
He assured that the Command would track down those responsible for this unpatriotic act. In the meantime, calm has been restored to the region, and security has been reinforced with additional armed personnel currently searching surrounding areas for the fleeing perpetrators.
