Panic gripped residents of Ekwulobia and Oko communities in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State on Wednesday after armed hoodlums invaded the area, killing at least four people and setting vehicles ablaze.

 

The attack, which began around 8 am, saw the gunmen shoot indiscriminately while mounting positions on a newly constructed bridge connecting the two neighbouring towns.

 

Eyewitnesses said the attackers ambushed a joint patrol team comprising police, soldiers, and local vigilantes, leading to chaos as residents and commuters fled for safety.

 

One of the eyewitnesses, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, “The heavily armed hoodlums in their large number entered the community at about 8.00 am today (Wednesday) and mounted on the newly-built bridge at the centre of the town from where they first launched attacks on the joint security patrol team of the police and the army as well as members of the state Agunaechemba security.

 

“There was confusion everywhere, and people, most of them workers going to work and traders coming from their homes to open their shops, ran helter-skelter in search of safety. The shootings occurred for several minutes before the arrival of the security team, which engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel.

 

“About four persons were already recorded dead, and many others injured. Two people were shot while in a tricycle.”

 

Viral videos shared on social media showed people scampering for safety amid gunfire. At least one operational vehicle belonging to the Anambra State Vigilante Group was also torched.

 

While residents said four people were feared dead, the Anambra State Police Command confirmed two fatalities.

 

In a statement, the command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the police-led joint security team responded swiftly and repelled the attackers.

He said, “Anambra police-led security force contained a shooting incident in the early hours of today July 9, 2025, at Oko and Ekwulobia flyover, Aguata Local Government Area.

 

“The team also demobilised one of the armed criminals, recovered one AK-47 rifle, one automatic pump action gun and four vehicles at the scene as the operatives sustained the onslaught operations in the area.

 

Vehicles recovered at the scene included a red Toyota Camry (registration ENU 58 SC), a custom-coloured Mercedes-Benz GLK without number plates, a golden Lexus 330 (ENU 815 AP), and an ash Toyota Highlander (GDD 517 RW).

 

“The Armed criminals unprovokedly shot indiscriminately under the Ekwulobia flyover. Consequently, in a swift response, the Joint Security Team engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun duel.

 

“Regrettably, the incident recorded the death of two unsuspecting members of the public and the burning of a brown Toyota Sienna vehicle allegedly belonging to the Anambra State Vigilante Group. Meanwhile, the bodies of the deceased have been recovered and deposited in the morgue,” Ikenga added.

He also confirmed a separate attempted attack on the Oko Divisional Police Headquarters, which was repelled by officers on duty.

 

“Given the above, adequate security measures have been put in place at the instance of the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu.

 

“Residents are hereby urged to remain calm as efforts to ensure their safety continue unabated. Further development would be communicated,” he added.

 

The Rivers State Police Command has declared two senior officials of the Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state wanted for their alleged involvement in the violent attack on the council administrator, Hon. Goodluck Iheanachor.

 

The officials are the Chief Security Officer of Ahoada East LGA, Hector Ekakita, and the council’s Chief of Staff, Mr. Aloni Olodi.

 

Iheanachor is one of the 23 administrators appointed by the State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) to oversee the affairs of the various councils shortly after he assumed office.

 

This was disclosed in a statement released by the spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, on Sunday.

 

Recall, the police in a statement had alleged the duo led a group of 30 youths who invaded the LG Administrator’s office, beat him up, carted away some vital documents in his office, and forced him (Iheanachor) to sign a letter of resignation which they placed in front of him.

 

According to the statement, the two officials were accused of criminal conspiracy, stealing, assault occasioning harm, and attempted murder.

 

Iringe-Koko explained that the Commissioner of Police, Olugbemga Adepoju, declared them wanted for refusing to honour an earlier invitation to report to the State Police Headquarters for questioning over their alleged roles in the invasion of the council and violent attack on Iheanachor.

 

The statement reads, “The Rivers State Police Command has declared the following individuals wanted for criminal conspiracy, stealing, assault occasioning harm, and attempted murder in connection with the violent attack on the Sole Administrator of Ahoada-East Local Government Area, Hon. Good luck, Iheanachor, which occurred on 20th June 2025 at the Council Secretariat, Ahoada East.

“Despite a prior public notice and formal invitation to report to the Police State Headquarters for questioning, the following suspects have blatantly ignored the directive: Mr. Hector Ekakita – Chief Security Officer, Ahoada-East LGA, and Mr. Aloni Olodi – Chief of Staff, Ahoada-East LGA.

 

“These individuals, alongside a gang of about thirty persons, are alleged to have conspired to assault the Sole Administrator, inflicted bodily harm on him, forcefully obtained his signature under duress, stole his mobile phones and vital documents, and carted away both personal and official properties from his office.

 

“The Sole Administrator continues to receive medical attention due to the injuries sustained during the attack.”

 

The spokesperson said that their failure to honour the police invitation, and the commissioner, Adepoju, has now declared the aforementioned persons wanted.

 

“They are hereby advised, in their own interest, to report to the Police State Headquarters, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, immediately.

 

“The Police Commissioner warns that anyone found aiding, hiding, or assisting the wanted individuals to evade arrest will face the full weight of the law.

“The Rivers State Police Command remains resolute in its commitment to justice and ensuring public peace and safety,” Iringe-Koko said.

 

The command requested anyone with useful and credible information on their whereabouts to contact the Police State Headquarters, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, or call dedicated police telephone lines for prompt action.

 

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted cocaine concealed in lipsticks and a property title document bound for the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, respectively.

 

Operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation attached to a logistics firm in Lagos discovered the consignments on Thursday, July 3, 2025.

 

In a statement on Sunday, the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said a total of 420 grams of cocaine were hidden in 84 pieces of factory-fitted female lipsticks heading to the UK, while 280 grams of the drug were found inside a Certificate of Occupancy being sent to Saudi Arabia.

 

“A total of 420grams of cocaine factory fitted in 84 pieces of female lipsticks heading to the UK were seized, while 280grams of the same Class A drug were uncovered in a property title document (Certificate of Occupancy, C of O) being sent to Saudi Arabia,” the statement partly read.

In a separate operation, he said a drug kingpin, Ajetsibo Emami, alias ‘Warri Kinsman’, was arrested in Ikeja on Saturday, June 28, following a three-day raid.

 

Babafemi added that the operation led to the seizure of 681 pouches of Canadian Loud weighing 414.2 kilograms from 24 jumbo bags and the arrest of three accomplices.

 

He said in another operation, a family was arrested for drugs.

 

According to him, the father, Ajah Johnson, his wife Rosemary, their daughters Stella and Ngozi, and a family friend, Okoro Elijah, were arrested in Lagos.

 

“A businessman, Ajah Johnson Uchenna, and his wife, Rosemary Uchenna, along with their two daughters, Stella Uchenna and Ngozi Uchenna, as well as their family friend Okoro Elijah, have been taken into custody after an investigation revealed they run a major illicit drug distribution network in Lagos.

 

“The couple was first arrested on Friday, 13th June by operatives of the Department of State Security in Ojo area of the state and transferred to NDLEA along with 277.5kg skunk.

 

“While they were still being investigated in custody, credible intelligence revealed that the family business was going on in his house.

 

“This led to a raid on their home and a packing store where 231kg of the same substance was recovered on Tuesday, 1st July.

 

“Three persons arrested during the raid include their two daughters: Ngozi Uchenna and Blessing Uchenna, as well as their family friend, Okoro Elijah, who was running the family business in the absence of the couple,” he said.

 

Babafemi equally said at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, a man identified as Aburemi Hysent, was caught on July 2 with 7,660 tramadol pills concealed in food items he was conveying to Italy.

He said the suspect confessed to being promised €800 for the delivery.

 

NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, 2nd July, intercepted a frequent flyer, Aburemi Hysent, who specialises in conveying goods for customers from Nigeria to Italy and vice versa.

 

“He was found to have hidden 7,660 pills of tramadol 225mg and 200mg inside food items packed among other goods he was conveying to Italy.

“He claimed he was to be paid the sum of 800 euros upon successful delivery of the drug consignment in Italy,” Babafemi said.

 

On July 4, he said operatives at the airport also intercepted 52 counterfeit travellers’ cheques concealed in children’s books.

 

The cheques, worth 17.7 million Australian dollars and headed to Malaysia via Istanbul, were traced to freight agent Bolarinwa Saheed, who has been handed over to the EFCC for further investigation.

 

Babafemi said, “In another interdiction operation at the Lagos airport, a total of 52 pieces of the travelers cheques concealed in children books, worth 17,700,000 Australian dollars, going to Malaysia through Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight were on Friday 4th July intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the export shed of the airport while a freight agent, Bolarinwa Saheed has been arrested.

 

“The travellers’ cheques are suspected to be 6 the suspect will be transferred to the EFCC for further investigation.”

 

At the Seme border in Lagos on July 5, he said NDLEA recovered 359kg of skunk stored in the Baba-Pupa area.

 

The same day, Babafemi said 10,000 tramadol pills and 1.050kg of Colorado were intercepted along the Okene-Lokoja highway. Follow-up arrests were made at Jabi Park, Abuja.

 

In Osun State, he said several arrests were made between July 1 and 3 in Osogbo and Ile-Ife. Over 62,000 pills and ampoules of opioids were seized.

 

“A cannabis farm covering 9.67 hectares was also destroyed at Ikaka forest, Oke-Ila, with seven suspects arrested and over 24,000kg of skunk destroyed, ” he added.

 

In Borno, he said 167kg of skunk was recovered at Gamboru-Ngala.

 

“Along the Zaria-Kano road, 452kg was seized, with two suspects arrested.

“In Kaduna, 11,000 pills of tramadol were found on a 30-year-old man, while Sokoto officers arrested a 62-year-old suspect with 4,800 pills of the same drug.

 

“Kebbi command raided Bakin Kasuwa, Yauri, where 312kg of skunk and 10,000 diazepam tablets were recovered.

 

“In Taraba, two suspects were found with nearly 50,000 capsules of tramadol, ” the statement added.

 

In Edo, Babafemi said a wanted suspect, Alaba Monday, was arrested in Ewere forest with 115kg of skunk.

 

“Three others were arrested on a 2-hectare cannabis farm. In Cross River, a 78-year-old man and others were arrested in Obubra LGA with various quantities of skunk and tramadol,” he concluded.

The European Union on Sunday called for de-escalation and a return to negotiations after the United States joined Israel’s war with Iran by striking Iranian nuclear sites.

Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on Iran on June 13. Tehran has responded by firing missiles at Israel and had vowed to retaliate if Washington joined in.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Iran “must never acquire the bomb” and the bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas described the possibility as “a threat to international security.”

But both stressed that Brussels remained committed to diplomacy at a flashpoint moment for the Middle East.

The Enugu State Police Command has arrested seven suspects linked to cultism and illegal firearms, as seven guns, ammunition, and weapon repair tools were recovered in a recent crackdown across the state.

The suspects were arrested between June 15 and 21, during separate operations carried out in Enugu North, Nkanu West, and 9th Mile areas by tactical units of the Command.

The state Police Command spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, who disclosed this in a statement released on Sunday, said the operations followed credible intelligence and were guided by the crime-fighting strategies of the Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa.

“Operatives of the Command’s Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad and other tactical teams, acting on credible information, arrested seven male suspects and recovered seven firearms, one expended and two live cartridges, and tools used for firearm repairs,” Ndukwe said.

According to him, one of the suspects, Yusuf John, a 25-year-old, was arrested on Saturday at 9th Mile with a cut-to-size double-barrelled gun and one expended cartridge.

His arrest was based on credible intelligence from his syndicate, which claimed they were all members of the Supreme Vikings Confraternity.

“His arrest followed the confessional statements of three earlier-arrested suspects, namely: Ebube Victor, aged 22; Kenechukwu Chiegwu, aged 23; and Tochukwu Kingsley Nwodo, aged 26.

“They all confessed to being members of the Supreme Vikings Confraternity and admitted to using the firearm in the commission of various crimes,” Ndukwe said.

In a separate operation on Tuesday, the operatives arrested a 22-year-old suspect identified as Ugwualor Obumneke, after a confession from Onah Uchenna, who had been arrested for alleged armed robbery and cultism.

Uchenna, whose firearm repair tools were recovered from her, said she uses them to maintain her weapons.

Ndukwe said,” Further investigation led to the recovery of a locally made Beretta-like pistol, two double-barrel and one single-barrel pistols, the chamber of an English-made double-barrel gun, and a set of tools used for firearm repairs.

“The suspects confessed to being members of the Black Axe Confraternity and admitted to using the firearms for criminal activities.

“Onah Uchenna further confessed to owning the repair tools and to specialising in the maintenance of firearms.”

The spokesperson said between June 15 and 20, a joint team from the SWAT and Octopus Tactical Squads raided black spots in Nkanu West and Enugu North LGAs, and arrested Iloh Chukwunonso, who firearms were recovered from.

“A locally fabricated Beretta-like pistol was recovered from him.

“ A cut-to-size gun and two live cartridges abandoned by fleeing suspects were also recovered during the operation,” Ndukwe said.

He confirmed that all suspects would be arraigned upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations.

Commending the operatives,  the Police Commissioner Giwa said, “The Command remains committed to ridding Enugu State of criminal elements.

“I urge our personnel to remain resolute until the state becomes increasingly uninhabitable for criminals.”