One person confirmed dead as gunmen set vehicles on fire, engage Security Operatives in shootout
Abia State Government, Nigeria Police Force, and the military have confirmed an attack in Aba early Monday, resulting in one gunman being neutralized while others escaped with bullet wounds. Two attack vehicles were recovered.
According to the state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu, “Earlier today (Monday), criminal elements engaged the security personnel at Umuode community, along the Express Road and later at Umuojima in Aba and were overwhelmed by the superior firing and one of them was neutralized, while others escaped with various degrees of injuries”.
Prince Okey Kanu expressed regret over the actions of the hoodlums intent on causing mayhem. He urged the public to remain vigilant and assured that the state government will not permit criminal activities, emphasizing their zero-tolerance stance and commitment to preserving the achievements of the Otti administration.
Retired Navy Commander MacDonald Uba, Special Adviser to the state governor on Security Matters, remarked, “What happened today (Monday) is a testament to the fact that we have restrategized”, and assured that the game has changed. He noted that the fleeing criminals are being tracked, adding, “we will close in on them. This shows, it is no more game as usual”.
In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Maureen Chinaka, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, said, “Today, 29th July 2024, at about 0930hrs, a joint convoy patrol team comprising police operatives, Nigerian Army personnel, and members of Operation Crush, while on patrol in Aba, Abia State, sighted vehicles suspected to be carrying armed men, moving towards Port Harcourt Express Road.
“The patrol team pursued and intercepted them around Umuode Village which led to an exchange of gunfire. The hoodlums were overpowered, and they abandoned their vehicles and took to flight, with gunshot injuries.
“A Sienna vehicle with bloodstains was recovered at the location. Subsequently, an abandoned Toyota Highlander SUV with the corpse of an unidentified suspect was recovered at Adanegbuazu along Mbamaonyeukwu Hotel Road in Umuode, Aba. The corpse has been deposited at a mortuary, and investigation is ongoing”.
The Commissioner of Police, Abia State Command, assured the public that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and urged citizens to remain calm and continue their lawful activities. He added that security personnel have been deployed to strategic locations to ensure the safety and protection of life and property.
“Members of the public are encouraged to report any suspicious activities or individuals with bullet wounds to the nearest police station, as their cooperation is crucial in maintaining law and order in the state,” he pleaded.
On Monday, Aba residents were thrown into panic as gunmen believed to be enforcers of Monday’s sit-at-home order struck the city.
The gunmen, who wore hoods, operated in two ash-colored Sienna cars and a Hummer bus. They struck the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway Monday morning at Arise and Shine junction by Umuosu.
Before setting ablaze a commercial bus en route to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on the Ugwunagbo local government area axis of the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway, the gunmen asked the passengers to alight from the bus. They also set ablaze a Lexus Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) with a government number plate, belonging to a Medical Director (MD), who was about to drive out of his hospital when the gunmen accosted him and ordered him out of his car.
The gunmen also attacked a popular fast food restaurant on the same Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway, shattering its windows as customers scampered for safety.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that a security personnel was allegedly shot and is receiving treatment in an undisclosed private hospital. The gunmen, chased by security forces, escaped through Umuosu Primary School, continued through Umugo to Ozata, and joined the Expressway.
The gunmen reportedly discovered that soldiers of the 14 Brigade had cordoned off the Osisioma-Port Harcourt Expressway junction and diverted through the Umuode-Umuojima village road, causing residents to flee and close their shops as the gunmen shot sporadically into the air.
However, a security source from the 14 Brigade Army Headquarters, Ohafia, told our correspondent that the military chased the gunmen into Umuojima, killing one of them and inflicting injuries on several others in a gun duel. The soldiers recovered the body of the deceased gunman, and the source further disclosed that one of the Siennas and a Land Cruiser used by the gunmen during the operation were recovered with blood stains.
