Anambra: Identities Of Slain US Embassy Staffers, Cops Announced

The Anambra State Police Command, Thursday, said it had arrested two persons suspected to be connected to the killing of staffers of the US Embassy in Nigeria as well as their police escorts on Tuesday.

CP Echeng Echeng, the state police commissioner, stated this while addressing newsmen in Awka.

According to him, “The preliminary investigation revealed that five male officials of the USA Consulate and four armed mobile police escorts from Lagos on a mission to assess the impact of erosion in Ogbaru LGA were travelling in a convoy of two vehicles when they came under attack by armed men who targeted them with gunfire and set their vehicles ablaze.

“Regrettably, seven persons (including three of the consulate officials and four mobile police escorts) were murdered during the attack while two other officials of the consulate are yet to be found.”

He gave the names of the deceased police officers as Inspr Bukar Adams, Inspr Friday Morgan, Inspr Adam Andrew and Inspr Emmanuel Lupata, all of Squadron 23, Police Mobile Force, Lagos.

CP Echeng further stated that sources from the USAID authority disclosed that five of their staff and four policemen were involved in the attack.

The names, according to a release by the police public relations officer, Anambra State, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, are Jefferson Obayuwane (RTD DSS personnel), Sunday Prince Ubong,
Ekene Nweke, Hassan Etila, Avwuvie, Kaye Monday, Bukar A. Kabuiki (police),
Emmanuel Lukpata (police), Friday Morgan (police), and Adamu Andrew (police).

“The remains of the deceased persons have been recovered and deposited in a morgue while the state police command and other security agencies are working round-the-clock, in concert with the government of Anambra State, to rescue the missing officials,” Ikenga confirmed.

The command urged members of the public ‘who can provide information about the identities and locations of the culprits to kindly assist the police with such information timeously’.

The PPRO said, “Joint security forces comprising police tactical teams from the command and troops of the Nigerian Army as well as the Nigerian Navy raided a camp in Ugwuaneocha community of Ogbaru LGA, which was suspected to be the hideout of the assailants, but discovered that it had been deserted.”

According to him, “Two persons of interest were arrested and they are currently assisting the police in the investigation. The criminal camp was razed down by the joint security team.”

Our correspondent reported that a team of officials from the Lagos Consulate of the United States of America and their police escorts (USA) were ambushed, killed and set ablaze on 16/05/2023 between 12:00hours and 14:00hours, along Atani/Osamela road in Ogbaru Local Government Area (LGA) of the state by unknown gunmen.

Meanwhile, the Anambra State government has announced rewards for anybody that could reveal identities of the killers.

Christian Aburime, press secretary to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, stated this in a release.

The release stated that, “We call on anyone with information on the identity or whereabouts of the criminals to offer same on our secured security phone numbers or to any of the security agencies, and such informant will be handsomely rewarded.”