The Anambra State Government has vowed to track down and prosecute the gunmen responsible for the killing of two police officers and two civilians during an attack on the convoy of the Chief of Staff to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Chief Ben Nwankwo.
The attack occurred on Sunday night along the Amansea–Ndiora–Ndiukwuenu–Awa–Ufuma Road when the assailants ambushed the convoy as it was returning from an official assignment.
Sources said Nwankwo had attended a function on behalf of Governor Soludo and was travelling back to Awka when the convoy came under heavy gunfire.
While the Chief of Staff escaped unhurt, two police officers and two civilians were killed. Some members of the entourage also sustained injuries during the exchange of gunfire, which reportedly lasted several minutes.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers, who had concealed themselves in nearby bushes, opened fire on the convoy as it approached, causing panic in surrounding communities.
Reacting to the incident, the state Commissioner for Information and Value Orientation, Law Mefor, described the attack as shocking and condemned the killings.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Mefor said the government sympathised with the families of the victims and assured residents that security agencies were working to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The statement read, “The Anambra State Government is shocked by the attack on the convoy of the Chief of Staff to the Governor on Sunday night, May 31, 2026, between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Orumba North–Awka South border while returning from an official assignment.
“This was more than an attack on one person. It was an attack on the peace, security and democratic order of our state, as well as the government and people of Anambra.
“Sadly, four people lost their lives and deserve justice.
“The Anambra State Government sends its deepest condolences to the families of those who died and shares in their grief.
“The police and other security agencies are working to find and bring everyone involved in this evil act to justice.
“This isolated incident, coming after more than one year of relative peace and security in the state, will not weaken our determination to eliminate all forms of crime from Anambra.”
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, on Monday led a joint team comprising personnel of the Nigerian Army, the Anambra State Police Command and the Agunechemba Security Squad to the Ndiukwuenu community in Orumba North Local Government Area, where the attack occurred.
The police boss carried out an on-the-spot assessment of the crime scene, reassured residents and supervised tactical teams deployed to investigate the incident.
Orutugu subsequently ordered a full-scale manhunt for the attackers and directed the deployment of specialised forensic assets to aid investigations.
He also criticised community leaders, including the councillor and president-general of the area, for allegedly failing to promptly alert security agencies about suspicious activities in the locality.
According to him, “This is an on-the-spot assessment of the crime scene to personally evaluate the situation.
“A full-scale manhunt and the deployment of specialised forensic assets to track the perpetrators have been put in place.
“We charge the local community to work closely with the Rapid Response Squad of the Command to facilitate the arrest and prosecution of those behind the attack through intelligence gathering.”
Officials of the Agunechemba Security Squad, who accompanied the police commissioner, claimed that the perpetrators operate from Awka and use a white sport utility vehicle to launch attacks on neighbouring communities before retreating to the state capital.
The outfit’s publicity secretary, Nweke Nweke, said operatives had been monitoring the activities of the suspects.
“We have kept a close watch on these criminals, and we can state categorically that they are not residents of the area. They come from Awka, carry out their operations in a guerrilla-style manner, and then retreat to the capital city.
“This is largely because our outfit has intensified operations within Awka, making it difficult for them to perpetrate their criminal activities there. As a result, they now target neighbouring communities close to the capital.
“We are already working in collaboration with other security agencies through joint patrol operations to nip the crime in the bud. Significant progress has been made in intelligence gathering, and this indicates that we are closing in on the perpetrators,” he said.
Nweke added that intelligence supplied by residents had greatly aided ongoing investigations.
He disclosed that the councillor, president-general and vice president-general of the Ndiukwuenu community had joined security operatives in the manhunt for the attackers.
During the operation, security personnel took control of major flashpoints in the community and combed surrounding bushes in search of the gunmen’s hideouts.
One suspect, said to have been dressed in police camouflage, was arrested during the exercise.
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