Three policemen were killed on Thursday when they attacked a checkpoint in Umunze in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, South East Nigeria.
The incident took place early in the morning, PREMIUM TIMES reported.
The armed men attacked and shot at the officers at the checkpoint on the Umunze-Ihite road in the community, killing three of them on the spot.
Neighbors said some shop owners near the site of the attack suddenly closed their shops for fear of being caught by stray bullets.
A video clip, apparently recorded after the incident, is doing the rounds on various WhatsApp groups.
In the now viral clip seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the bodies of the three dead officers were seen lying on the road near the checkpoint.
Anambra State Police Spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident on Thursday afternoon.
Mr Ikenga, the Deputy Superintendent of Police, described the killing of the officers as “unfortunate”.
“It is part of the highest price that security officers pay to serve the nation,” he said.
However, he said the state police had not “attacked” the developments.
“Reinforcement teams are already in the area and the hunt for the attackers is ongoing while joint security patrols have been stepped up in the area,” the police spokesman said.
Increase attacks
Like other states in the south-east of Nigeria, security has deteriorated in Anambra State with frequent attacks by armed men.
Attacks often target security agencies, government officials, and facilities.
The latest attack comes days after armed men abducted an unidentified man at Afor Market Junction on Nnobi road in Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.
The Nigerian government has accused the outlawing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as being responsible for deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied having participated in the attacks.
IPOB is spearheading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants to carve out of South-East Nigeria and parts of the South-South.
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