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The Regent of the Oba community in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Prince Noel Ezenwa (Ichie Ezeama) and residents have condemned, in its entirety, the Tuesday attack on the Oba Police Divisional Headquarters and the Oba Civic Centre.
Recalled that some yet-to-be-identified gunmen, in large numbers, attacked the Oba Police Divisional Headquarters and also the Oba Civic Centre, killing a police corporal and injuring others.
During the attack, several vehicles in the premises of the police station and the offices were set ablaze.
The reason for the attack has yet to be ascertained, but the Spokesman of the state police command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the attack was carried out by a secessionist group.
Ikenga said, “The hoodlums shot sporadically and threw petrol bombs, causing fires in some offices at the police facility and the Oba Civic Centre.
“The suspected armed secessionist group started shooting sporadically in an attempt to gain entrance to the police station and threw petrol bombs at the security facility, which made some of the offices catch fire, including the Oba Civic Centre.
“Unfortunately, a police corporal who was fatally wounded paid the supreme price, while the fire was put out with the help of other police officers on duty and the Joint Security responding team.”
Reacting to the development in a press statement on Friday, the community’s regent, Noel Ezenwa, called on the residents to remain calm and restrain from casting unfounded aspersions, saying that the Oba leadership and security agencies were working tirelessly to track down the perpetrators.
Ezenwa also commiserated with the family of the slain police officer, who lost his life during the dastardly attack on the community property.
He said, “My attention has been drawn to the very ugly and unfortunate incident that took place in our beloved hometown in the early hours of Tuesday, September 3, 2024, when the Oba police station and Civic Centre were set on fire.
“My heart goes out to the family of the police officer on active duty protecting our hometown, who was the sole victim of the attack.
“While we have heard of attacks on security personnel on patrol, government facilities, and property by unknown persons, the attack on the people’s property realised through self-help efforts is a new dimension to these kinds of attacks. This incident is utterly condemnable, heinous and abominable.
“Be as it may, I call on everyone to guide their utterances casting aspersions on members of our community to remain calm as the leadership and security agencies do all they can to unravel the cause of the fire and the people responsible for it, in order to forestall a future occurrence.
“I want to personally appreciate everyone who made efforts towards stopping the raging fire by inviting several water tanker operators who worked tirelessly to douse the raging flames.
“We will take stock of our losses and damages to update our people and also re-evaluate our security infrastructure.
“We have no other hometown to call our own and must all work together as one to ensure the safety of lives and property in our hometown. God is always on our side and we shall rise from these challenges.”
Other residents of the community, who trooped to the burnt police station to catch a glimpse, expressed shock that the building, including vehicles, motorcycles, and tricycles, was totally razed by the assailants.
One of the residents, Chidalu Ike, who spoke to our correspondent, lamented the security situation in Oba, praying for God’s intervention.
Ike said, “My people, this is a big tragedy. They have burnt all the vehicles at the premises of our police station. Even a police officer was shot dead. Every office, including that of the DPO and detention rooms housing suspects, has been razed.
“It has become a case of one-day-one trouble. We are praying for God to come and rescue us in Oba. I don’t know if we are to run away from our homes or not.
“Look at the police station, everything was burnt down, nothing is left out. Even the suspects inside the cell, cannot find them again, we don’t know if they escaped or burnt.
“There is nobody in the cell, we don’t know who carried out this dastardly act; we don’t know where to start. The police station is finished.”
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