Governor Carlos Soludo of anambra state has spoken about the probable cause of the attack by gunmen on officials of the US Consulate in Nigeria on Tuesday in the state.
Newslodge reported how gunmen killed two consulate officials and two policemen after ambushing their convoy along Atani-Osamala Road in the state’s Ogbaru Local Local Government.
In addition to killing the victims, the gunmen kidnapped three other people, including two other police officers and their driver, who arrived in the area to carry out a rescue operation during the attack.
In a statement late Wednesday from his spokesman, Christian Aburime, Soludo said officials making separate security arrangements and bypassing the state’s existing security architecture could have made them susceptible to attack.
“It is apparent from the reports from the various security agencies in the state that the visiting team made their own security arrangements and completely bypassed the existing security architecture in the state and the state government was unaware of it. the visiting team’s ‘humanitarian mission’. ,” he said.
“In a place like parts of Ogbaru (LGA) where security forces have been fighting criminals and oil bunkers, the sight of a few policemen can draw revenge from criminal gangs. Correcting such lapses and ensuring better coordination will help prevent avoidable incidents in the future,” Mr. Soludo explained.
The governor, however, condemned the attack and the murder and vowed to cooperate with state security agencies to “bring out the criminals and bring them to justice.”
He said that, in the last year, his administration had worked with law enforcement agencies to fight crime and restore law and order to the state.
He argued that despite the latest attack, the state is one of the “safest” in Nigeria.
“This (latest) incident in a remote riverside community in the Ogbaru local government area is a reminder that patches of these criminal gangs can still unleash wanton and murderous acts,” he said.
Soludo urged state residents to help law enforcement agencies with information on the identity or whereabouts of the gunmen.
The governor promised to reward “handsomely” anyone who provides such information to security agencies.
He sympathized with the families of the victims of the attack and assured the US Embassy in Nigeria of his administration’s commitment to the safety of its officials in the state.
“We assure our residents and visitors of our continued commitment to law and order. If anything, this incident has emboldened our momentum,” he said.