Police And Vigilante Clash In Anambra After Mistaking Each Other For Pro-Biafra Gunmen
A misunderstanding between a local vigilante group and police operatives in Anambra State led to a shootout on Wednesday, after both groups mistakenly identified each other as pro-Biafra gunmen.
The incident occurred around 7 p.m. at Izuchukwu Junction along Nnobi-Nnewi Road in Nnewi North Local Government Area, near the hometown of the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, whose burial is scheduled for Friday.
Eyewitnesses reported chaos, with stray bullets hitting two passers-by, who are feared dead, and a parked Toyota Venza vehicle catching fire during the exchange. Charles Okoli, a resident, noted that the vehicle was burned to ashes but could not confirm whether it was set ablaze during the gunfire.
Anambra State Police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga confirmed the incident in a statement late Wednesday. He clarified that the clash was due to a misunderstanding, as the vigilante operatives mistook the police team for “unfriendly forces.”
“This was not an attack by non-state actors or an attempt to disrupt the burial of the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah,” Ikenga stated.
He explained that the police operatives had been trailing a suspect to a security checkpoint when the shootout occurred. Stray bullets reportedly ignited the fuel tank of the Toyota Venza, which led to the fire. Two injured passers-by were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Ikenga assured residents that a joint security team had been deployed to maintain calm in Nnewi ahead of the senator’s burial.
This is not the first time such incidents have occurred in the South-East. In August, two police teams in Abia State exchanged fire in Aba after mistaking each other for members of the separatist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The incident resulted in the death of a truck driver, Chinedu Ukwu, who was struck by a stray bullet.
IPOB, which advocates for the secession of the South-East and parts of the South-South, has been accused of orchestrating violent attacks in the regions. However, the group has consistently denied involvement in such incidents.
