The United States, has said it will work closely with its Nigerian law enforcement colleagues in seeking to bring those responsible for the attack on its staff in Anambra State on Tuesday to justice.
Recall that staff of United States Consulate in Lagos were reported to have been attacked on Tuesday in Ogbaru Local Government Area, Anambra State, by gunmen suspected to be IPOB/ESN militants.
The incident led to the death of two policemen and two locally recruited staff of the Consulate, even as some of the staff were yet to be accounted for.
United States Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, in a statement issued in Washington DC, said: “Unknown assailants yesterday attacked a convoy of two U.S. government vehicles in the Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra state, Nigeria. The convoy was carrying nine Nigerian nationals: five employees of the U.S. Mission to Nigeria and four members of the Nigeria Police Force. They were traveling in advance of a planned visit by U.S. Mission personnel to a U.S.-funded flood response project in Anambra.
We do not yet know the motive for the attack, but we have no indications at this time that it was targeted against our Mission. The assailants killed at least four members of the convoy, and U.S. Mission personnel are working urgently with Nigerian counterparts to ascertain the location and condition of the members of the convoy who are unaccounted for.
“We condemn in the strongest terms this attack. We will work closely with our Nigerian law enforcement colleagues in seeking to bring those responsible to justice.”
Blinken further said the United States had no greater priority than the safety and security of its personnel.
“We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed in the attack, and pledge to do everything possible to safely recover those who remain missing. We deeply value our relationship with our Locally Employed Staff and our partnership with Nigeria.
“The United States reaffirms its commitment to the people of Nigeria to assist in the fight against violence and insecurity,” Blinken also said.
