Arrests Made in Attack on US Consulate Officials in Anambra State
By Boniface Ihiasota, USA
The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of two suspects in connection with the attack on officials from the United States Consulate and their police escorts in the state.
The state Commissioner of Police, Echeng Echeng, confirmed the arrest during a press conference on Thursday.
According to Echeng, the suspects were apprehended after a joint operation involving police tactical teams, Nigerian Army troops, and Nigerian Navy personnel.
Echeng said the operation targeted a camp believed to be the hideout of the assailants, suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network and Indigenous People of Biafra, in the Ugwuaneocha community of Ogbaru Local Government Area.
The commissioner revealed that the camp was found abandoned when security forces raided it. The attack involved five US consulate staff members and four police officers, identified as Inspectors Bukar Adams, Friday Morgan, Adam Andrew, and Emmanuel Lupata.
Echeng provided details of the incident, stating that the ambush took place on May 16, 2023, between 12pm and 2pm along Atani/Osamela Road in Ogbaru Local Government Area. The Anambra State Police Command received information about the attack from an official of the consulate around 2.30pm. Responding swiftly, a joint team of mobile policemen and Nigerian Navy troops stationed in Onitsha was dispatched to the area.
Upon reaching the scene, the security team engaged the assailants in a shootout, but the attackers managed to escape into a nearby forest.
“On May 17, a joint operation comprising police tactical teams, Nigerian Army troops, and Nigerian Navy personnel targeted the suspected camp in Ugwuaneocha community, only to find it deserted.
“Two individuals of interest have been arrested and are assisting the police in their investigation into the attack, which resulted in the deaths of seven people. The camp where the assailants had allegedly been hiding was subsequently destroyed by the security forces.”
Echeng expressed condolences to the families and friends of the deceased and urged the public to provide any information that could help identify and locate the culprits.
Christian Aburime, the Press Secretary to the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, reaffirmed the commitment to maintaining law and order in Anambra State, emphasizing that the incident has further strengthened their determination.
