The police in Anambra State, South-east Nigeria, have announced the rescue of two officials of the US Consulate who went missing after gunmen attacked their convoy on Tuesday.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how gunmen killed officials of the US Consulate and some police officers after ambushing their convoy along Atani-Osamala Road in Ogbaru Local Local Government of the state.
The US officials were on a mission to assess the impact of erosion in the local government area.
The police had, on Thursday, confirmed that seven people were killed in the attack while two officials of the US consulate – said to have been abducted by the gunmen – were missing.
Rescue of the missing officials
But in a statement on Friday morning and made available to PREMIUM TIMES, the spokesperson of the police in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, said the two missing US officials had been rescued.
“In the early hours of today, 19 May, the joint security forces rescued unhurt the two remaining victims abducted during the attack on the US Convoy,” Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, said in the statement.
The police spokesperson, however, did not give details of how they were rescued.
“Operations are still ongoing and further details shall be communicated,” he added.
Increased attacks
Like other states in Nigeria’s South-east, security has deteriorated in Anambra State with frequent attacks by armed persons.
Although the attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities, the attack on the US officials was a novelty.
Dozens of people have been killed and others abducted since gunmen resumed attacks in the state and across the region.
The Nigerian government has accused the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied their involvement in the attacks.
The separatist group is leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria.
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