The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of two suspects linked to the attack on officials of the Consulate of the United States of America and their police escorts in the state.
The state Commissioner of Police, Echeng Echeng, confirmed the development during a press conference on Thursday.
He explained that the suspects were arrested after joint security forces comprising police tactical teams from the command and troops of the Nigerian Army as well as the Nigerian Navy raided a camp around the Ugwuaneocha community, in the Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state.
Echeng said the camp, which he described as the hideout of the assailants suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network and Indigenous People of Biafra, was deserted when the security operatives invaded the place.
Noting that five staff members of the US consulate office and four police officers were involved in the attack, the CP gave the names of the police officers as Inspectors Bukar Adams, Friday Morgan, Adam Andrew and Emmanuel Lupata.
Echeng said, “As you are probably aware, a team of officials from the Lagos Consulate of the United States of America and their police escorts were ambushed on May 16, 2023, between 12pm and 2pm, along Atani/Osamela Road, in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, by suspected Eastern Security Network and Indigenous people of Biafra.
“Information about the incident was received by Anambra State Police Command, through an official of the consulate, around 2.30pm. Consequently, a joint team of Mobile Policemen and troops of the Nigerian Navy stationed in Onitsha was immediately deployed to the area.
“Upon arrival at the scene of the incident, the joint security team sighted and engaged the assailants in a shootout, but they escaped through a nearby forest. On May 17, 2023, joint security forces comprising police tactical teams from the command and troops of the Nigerian Army as well as the Nigerian Navy raided a camp in the Ugwuaneocha community of Ogbaru LGA, which was suspected to be the hideout of the assailants but discovered that it had been deserted.”
