Anambra 2021: Gunmen obstruct APGA campaign, kill soldier

The governorship campaign of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the November 6 governorship election, holding in Ihiala Local Government Area, Anambra State, on Tuesday, was obstructed by gunmen who stormed venue of the campaign held by the APGA candidate, Prof. Charles Soludo, and party supporters.

The gunmen had commenced operations from a distant location in the morning hours, shooting sporadically to clear their way towards occupying the venue of the campaign, Odoata Central School. They, however, met the gunfire of a joint team of security operatives, comprising soldiers and police officers, on their arrival. The joint security operatives drafted to the venue to prevent any form of breakdown of law and order, engaged the gunmen in exchange of gunfire, compelling them to flee. The joint security team successfully repelled the gunmen, but a soldier was unfortunately killed in the exchange of gunfire.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Anambra Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, had in a statement confirmed the storming of the APGA campaign venue by the gunmen.

The Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Cdon Adinuba, confirming the attack, also acknowledged the killing of one soldier in the exchange of gunfire with the gunmen.

Some vehicle were a;also damaged in the attack.

The commissioner debunked reports that the gunmen attacked the convoy Governor Willie Obiano in the operations. He affirmed that the security operatives repelled the attack.

The Commissioner narrated that the superior firepower of the security operatives compelled the gunmen, who he said were operating with motorcycles vehicles, to flee the scene. He disclosed that the gunmen ran into the large premises of a hospital located directly opposite the campaign ground. He did not say if any arrest was made.

The PPRO of the Anambra State Police Command had said that the police suffered no casualty.

According to Ikenga: “Preliminary investigations revealed that the hoodlums started shooting sporadically while arriving at Odata Central School, but they were successfully repelled by police operatives and military personnel on ground.”

Some of the items recovered by the security operatives include an AK-47 rifle, 30 rounds of ammunition, two magazines, and four vehicles.

The PPRO said that normalcy has returned to the area, appealing to residents to report people with gunshot wounds as soon as possible.