By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has made some clarifications over the recent heavy gunshots that rocked Nnewi in Nnewi North Local Government Area of the State, ahead of the proposed burial date of late Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah who represented the Anambra South Senatorial Zone.
It would be recalled that a shooting incident reportedly ensued opposite the Ifeanyi Ubah Club House in Nnewi in the late hours of Wednesday, which also culminated to setting ablaze a vehicle, thereby creating panic in the area, just few hours to Senator Ubah’s burial in his hometown of Nnewi. Some persons were also said to have been hit by bullet during the shooting.
The Wednesday attack has also generated a chain of reactions and counter-reactions from the residents, with many people attributing the gunfire to unknown gunmen who were alleged to have vowed to disrupt Senator Ubah’s burial ceremony proposed to kick off in his hometown on Thursday.
While some eyewitnesses also linked that the operatives of the Nigerian Army to the gunfire, some of the videos from the scene show bodies of two young men suspected to have been killed during the attack lying at the scene.
However, in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday concerning the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the State, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, clarified that the shooting was not from non-state actors and had no connection with Senator Ubah’s proposed burial.
According to him, the shooting was as a result of mistaken identities, as some security operatives in the area mistook the police operatives as unfriendly forces and consequently opened fire at them.
The statement read: “The Command is aware of the shooting incident that took place at the Izuchukwu Junction, Nnobi/Nnewi Road by 7 pm on Wednesday 20/11/2024 where Security Operatives mistook the Police Operatives as unfriendly Forces and opened fire at them.
“However, the Command wishes to emphasize that the attack on the operatives was not from non-state actors or any attempt to disrupt the burial of late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.
“Preliminary information shows that security operatives on investigation trailed a suspect to a security checkpoint before the gun duel ensued.
“Unfortunately, bullets hit the fuel tank of the Toyota Venza Sedan carrying the men, and it was razed down. Two innocent passers-by were injured and taken to hospital. The Command sues for calm to allow for investigations into the incident.
“Meanwhile, Joint Security Forces have been deployed to ensure that Nnewi is calm throughout the burial ceremonies of the late Senator.”
Watch some videos from the scene below:
