The Anambra State Police Command says its Joint Security Force has destroyed the hideouts of some criminal elements in the state in its intensified manhunt for insurgents who recently attacked two police stations in the state.
PUNCH Metro reported that unidentified assailants attempted to set ablaze the police divisional headquarters in Nneni, Anaocha Local Government Area of the state on Thursday.
The hoodlums invaded the facility early in the morning and threw explosive devices that caused damage to parts of the building.
A resident in the area informed journalists that the hoodlums attempted to free some inmates at the facility but were unsuccessful as police officers on duty repelled the attack.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, stated that following the attack on the police formations, the joint security force, under the orders of the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Aderemi Adeoye, raided the hideouts of the gunmen.
Ikenga noted that the hunt for the gunmen has been extended to Obofia Forest, Aguluezuchukwu, and Ogboji areas.
He said, “On April 2, 2024, the police-led Forward Operating Base, which is highly mobile, targeted the insurgents’ camps in the aforementioned areas.
“The insurgents, who had deployed in various locations in ambush, were engaged in fierce firefight and were routed from their enclaves, which were subsequently destroyed.
“High-calibre ammunition, cartridges, a locally fabricated rocket launcher, police uniforms, and a Ford Pick-Up truck without number plates were recovered.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Aderemi Adeoye, who ordered the operation, has vowed that it would be sustained until the insurgents are completely eradicated from Anambra State.
“He has urged the troops and personnel involved in the operations to maintain the tempo until the state is completely safe from cowardly guerrilla attacks by insurgents.”