Armed gunmen have killed two police officers in a deadly ambush on the security convoy of the Chief of Staff to Anambra State Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, triggering a state-wide security crackdown and a 48-hour ultimatum to apprehend those responsible.
The attack occurred along the Amansea–Ufuma axis at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, leaving two police officers dead and several civilians affected. The Chief of Staff, Chief Ben Nwankwo, escaped unhurt.
The policemen were ambushed during a convoy operation on Sunday night while returning from an assignment. Nwankwo had attended a function on behalf of Governor Soludo and was returning to Awka when the incident occurred. Some civilians in the entourage were injured in a gun duel that lasted several minutes.
Police Public Relations Officer SP Tochukwu Ikenga confirmed the attack, saying gunmen swooped on the convoy and opened fire indiscriminately. Officers immediately responded, engaging the assailants to ensure the safety of the principal and other convoy members. Two officers were fatally struck by bullets in the process, while the other vehicles in the convoy escaped safely.
“Two of our officers were fatally wounded as a result of trying to repel an attack on the convoy of the Chief of Staff,” SP Ikenga said. “They paid the supreme price in order to make sure that the other members of the convoy were” safe.
In response, Anambra State Commissioner of Police CP Ikioye Orutugu ordered all tactical formations and operational units to identify, track, and arrest those responsible within 48 hours. The directive was issued during an emergency security meeting convened at the Command Headquarters in Awka on Monday, where senior officers reviewed the circumstances of the attack.
“I want you to fish out the attackers and the killers of our officers. I demand immediate action to apprehend those responsible for this heinous act,” the Commissioner declared. “I want results.”
Orutugu described the assault as a direct attack on the authority of the state, vowing it would not go unanswered.
The Commissioner also raised concerns over emerging criminal tactics, warning that intelligence reports indicate some attackers now disguise themselves in police and military uniforms to carry out illicit operations. “The general public is hereby advised to be vigilant concerning persons operating at various checkpoints, as some miscreants now wear security uniforms while carrying out criminal activities,” he warned.
He further cautioned motorists and commuters using the Amansea–Ufuma corridor to remain vigilant, particularly during late hours, noting that the route has increasingly become a hotspot for criminal ambushes.
No arrests had been announced at the time of publication. The identities of the slain officers had not been officially released.
