By Sochima Agbo

The Anambra State Police Command has launched a manhunt for gunmen who killed two police officers during an ambush along the Amansea–Ndiora–Ndiukwuenu–Awa–Ufuma Road in Orumba South Local Government Area of the state.

The Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, ordered an immediate operation to track down the attackers during an emergency security meeting held on Monday at the State Police Command Headquarters in Awka.

The officers were reportedly attacked on Sunday night while returning from an official assignment. Sources said the convoy of Ben Nwankwo, Chief of Staff to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, was also involved in the incident. Nwankwo, who had attended an event on behalf of the governor, was said to have escaped unharmed, although some civilians in the convoy sustained injuries during the exchange of gunfire.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers emerged from a nearby bush and opened fire on the convoy, causing panic among residents and commuters in the area.

A commercial tricycle operator who witnessed the aftermath of the attack said he abandoned his vehicle and fled after hearing gunshots. According to him, he later returned to discover the bodies of two police officers lying on the road beside their patrol vehicle.

Confirming the incident, Orutugu said the command had commenced investigations and intensified efforts to apprehend those responsible.

“A team of police officers was returning from an assignment when they were ambushed by armed men who opened fire on them. In the process, we lost two officers,” he said.

The police commissioner directed officers to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice, declaring an operation tagged “Operation Fish Them Out” to identify and arrest the attackers.

He also urged residents to remain vigilant, warning that some criminal elements now disguise themselves in police and military uniforms while carrying out illegal activities.

Orutugu further advised motorists to exercise caution while travelling on the Amansea–Ufuma Road, describing the route as increasingly vulnerable to criminal activities.

Despite the attack, he reassured residents that the command remains committed to protecting lives and property across the state and expressed confidence that investigators would record significant breakthroughs within 48 hours.

The incident comes less than a month after 17 police officers undergoing specialised training were killed during a terrorist attack on the Nigerian Army Special Forces School in Buni Yadi, Yobe State.