- Police confirm recovery of 4 vehicles used in the attack
Residents of Ekwulobia, the burgeoning semi-urban headquarters of Aguata Local Government Area (LGA) Anambra State started Wednesday July 9, 2025 morning with fears and apprehension as gunmen launched an audacious attack on operatives of the State’s Joint Security Task Force (JTF) team.
The incident took place less than two kilometres from Isuofia, the hometown of Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo.
Wednesday’s attack came on the heels of the massacre in Ogboji community, Orumba North LGA, few kilometres from Ekwulobia, where about 15 persons were killed penultimate week, and the attack on in front of Federal Polytechnic Oko in Orumba North LGA, a neighbouring community to Ekwulobia.
The JTF patrol team, comprising operatives from the Police, Army, and those of the Anambra State Homeland Security, Udo Gachi, were reportedly ambushed by the gunmen at about 9.00 am at the newly constructed Ekwulobia interchange bridge at the heart of the town.
According to local witness accounts, the attack resulted in the fatal shooting of four persons including members of the JTF patrol team.
Sources said that heavily armed gunmen, who were dressed in mafia-style outfits and had arrived in Sienna vehicles, had come at about 8.00 am and stationed on the newly built bridge at the centre of the town from where they launched attacks on the joint security patrol team as well as members of the State Homeland Security team in the area otherwise known as ‘Udo Gachi.’
The assailants, who shot sporadically both at the security team as well as in the air to scare onlookers and passersby, also burnt down one of the operational vehicles of the JTF.
According to an eyewitness: “There was confusion everywhere and people most of them workers going to work and traders coming from their homes to open their shops ran helter skelter in search of safely. About four deaths were already recorded and many others injured.”
The attack coincided with the time many residents were on their way to work and business premises.
But Public Relations Officer of Anambra State Police Command, Mr, Tochukwu Ikenga, a Superintendent of Police, told Daily Independent that only two civilian casualties were recorded.
He however acknowledged that the hoodlums burnt security vehicle but that they had been contained.
He said that the security agents demobilized one of the hoodlums and recovered two rifles – a pump action gun and one AK-47 – including four vehicles with which the hoodlums came.
The recovered vehicles include one red Toyota Camry vehicle with Reg No: ENU 58 SC; custom colour GLK Mercedes Benz without a registration number; golden colour Lexus 330 with Reg No: ENU 815 AP and one ash Toyota Highlander with Reg No: GDD 517 RW.
According to him: “The armed criminals shot indiscriminately under the Ekwulobia flyover. Consequently, in a swift response, the Joint Security Team engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun duel.
“Regrettably, the incident recorded the death of two unsuspecting members of the public and the burning of a brown Toyota Sienna vehicle belonging to the Anambra State Vigilante Group. The bodies of the deceased have been recovered and deposited in the morgue.”
Ikenga said that the Oko Divisional Police headquarters was also attacked, adding, however, that the officers on duty repelled the assault by the armed criminals.
He stated that no casualties were recorded as the aggressive pursuit by the Joint Security Team of the assailants has continued in the area.
He said that adequate security measures have been put in place at the instance of the Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu and urged residents of the state to remain calm as efforts to ensure their safety has continued.
