The police officers and some hoodlums were killed yesterday during a gun battle between the police and gunmen at Achala in Awka North local government area of Anambra State. During the encounter, the police recovered a human skull, a locally made rocket propelled grenade (RPG) launcher, two (RPG) bombs, empty chain of bullet and a single barrel long gun.
Also recovered was one Toyota Sienna, one Mercedes Benz Formatic jeep, two cylinders a huge quantity of hard drugs and other items, including a police beret and a police belt. The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga, said the raid on the hoodlums den came about following a counter- offensive operation launched against criminal elements who had on Friday laid an ambush against a six- man police team and a civilian car tracker who were on a recovery operation of a Toyota Sienna Space Wagon vehicle earlier snatched at gun point at Oye-Agu Abagana in Njikoka local government area.
Ikenga said: “Four of the police operatives escaped the ambush, while two of the police operatives and the car tracker were captured by the criminals.
“The police operatives, during the counter offensive operation, neutralized some of the armed men and destroyed three of their camps. “Unfortunately, some of the hoodlums escaped with bullet wounds, having already murdered their captives and set their bodies ablaze. “The remains of the two murdered police officers and the civilian tracker have been recovered and deposited in a morgue, while police operation is still ongoing in the area to track the fleeing gang members. Source: vanguard.com
