25 Buildings Reduced To Dust As Unknown Gunmen Bombard Ihiala LGA Hqs With Rockets

Over 25 buildings inside Ihiala Local Government Area Headquarters in Anambra state were reduced to dust on Thursday by Unknown Gunmen.

Residents said they heard the heavy sound of bombs shelling in a continuous manner around 2 a.m with exchange of gun fire till 4 a.m when the Unknown Gunmen left the scene.

A visit to the local government secretariat indicated that over 25 buildings including the local government administrative block, Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC], Health office building, Youth Corpers [NYSC] office, Education Office and National Civil Defense Office were reduced to dust by the heavy impact of the seemingly locally made high precision hand rockets.

The Unknown Gunmen shelled the council secretariat leaving only one building close to Onitsha-Owerri road untouched.

Documents inside the offices were burnt to ashes.

Numbers of security operatives keeping guard within the council secretariat were killed, and some, burnt beyond recognition.

It was gathered that numbers of local vigilantes were inside the local government secretariat when the Unknown Gunmen attacked the council.

But security sources dismissed the claim that Local vigilantes were no longer sleeping inside the Local Government secretariat for long.

Residents said the different sounds of guns showed that the Unknown Gunmen met a little resistance before they gained full entrance into the secretariat.

Security sources said; the Unknown Gunmen killed only two pensioners, elderly men who were on duty and working as gate keepers in the council.

Adding that, one of the unknown gunmen was gunned down by security operatives during the attack.

Meanwhile, Anambra State Police Spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga said:

“Following the Police/Military operations ongoing in ihaila and its neighboring town, the Operatives responding to a distress call at about 2:55 am, today 12/1/2023 of an attack on Ihiala local government headquarters, neutralize one of the attackers, recovered two locally made IED luncher, seven undenoted IED, forty pieces of live cartridges, fifteen live 7.62MM Ak47 ammunition, knives, charms, and other dangerous weapons.

“The attackers had already murdered, three vigilante operatives on duty, beheaded one and set five buildings ablaze with IED and petrol bombs.

“The joint force operatives engaged the arsonist/attackers, and obstructed them from causing further damages, while some escaped with bullet wounds.”

It would be recalled that the Ihiala Police Divisional and Area Command Headquarters which is a stone throw from the local government secretariat were attacked with rockets by Unknown Gunmen barely two weeks ago with the buildings in the stations reduced to dust.

Also, Unknown Gunmen in the early hours of Tuesday, invaded a house at Eziani quarters in Ihiala community, dragged family members out from their beds while sleeping and shot them dead.

Dead bodies of a woman and three men said to be traders dealing on Suya and yams were found on the street.