LG secretariat set ablaze by gunmen in Anambra

A large group of gunmen has attacked the Ogbaru Local Government Secretariat in Anambra State early Friday morning.

Reports indicate that the assailants, who arrived at the secretariat in the early hours, set fire to several buildings on the premises. These included a town hall designated for traditional rulers and other administrative structures.

This marks the second attack on the Ogbaru LGA in the past two months, with a similar incident occurring on June 15, 2024.

Although there have been no reported casualties so far, witnesses described the assailants firing indiscriminately into the air, causing widespread panic among local residents.

Concerns about security in Ogbaru have intensified following recent events. Sources noted that a security guard was killed days ago due to gunshot wounds sustained from a recent attack, and there have been other violent incidents in the area, including the shooting deaths of two young men on August 5 and the brutal beating death of a retired policeman by the same group.

Witnesses reported that approximately 30 gunmen emerged from the bush around 5 a.m., chanting as they attacked the local government secretariat. They set fire to several buildings, including the main secretariat and those designated for traditional rulers. They were in the process of igniting additional structures when security forces arrived and engaged them, forcing the attackers to flee into the bush.

Anambra State Police spokesperson, Superintendent Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the attack and stated that a joint security operation is underway. He reported that while some property was damaged, no lives were lost. The police are continuing their efforts to secure the area and investigate the incident.

This attack follows a previous assault on the same location on June 15, 2024, when unidentified assailants on motorcycles destroyed four patrol vehicles belonging to local vigilantes, an act the police condemned as cowardly.