POLICE CONFIRM 5 CASUALTIES IN OBA ATTACK, ANAMBRA

REPORTER: UCHE NEDEKE

Yet to be identified gunmen have attacked a hotel in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

An eye witness said the gunmen stormed the hotel, which had a night club and attempted to whisk away the owner before they were resisted by security operatives guarding the area.

According to some residents of the area, the gunmen consequently opened fire on fun seekers resulting to casualties.

A trending video on social media hinted that about eight persons, including two vigilantee lost their lives during the attack, which occurred around 2am on Monday.

In an interview, the member representing Idemili South constituency, Mr. Ebuka Igwe, described the incident as man’s inhumanity to man and unusual development.

Mr. Igwe, while sympathizing with the families of those that lost their lives during the attack, called on security operatives to step up their vigilance in the area and ensure that the culprits were brought to book.

Confirming the incident in a telephone interview with Radio Nigeria, the Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra State (PPRO), Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga, said police operatives were alerted and they quickly moved to the scene.

He confirmed that they recovered the corpses of two of the vigilantee who were fatally wounded and three other fun seekers, who sustained various degrees of injuries, were also recovered.

This figure is, however, at variance with eyewitness report, which showed there were up to eight casualties.

Mr. Ikenga said the command had deployed security operatives to the area, and noted that some witnesses were already providing useful information for the ongoing investigation into the incident.

According to the PPRO, weapons have been recovered while some suspects from Oba had been in custody following security incidents reported by the people.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU