Gunmen storm Anambra nightclub, kill 7, abduct Cross River traditional ruler
The spate of insecurity across the country is assuming a rather frightening dimension as gunmen have started attacking nightclubs.
An attack on a nightclub in Oba, Idemili South local government area of Anambra State has left at least seven people dead and several others injured.
The incident happened at Porsche Nightclub in the semi urban town about ten kilometers to the commercial city of Onitsha about midnight on Sunday, December 10.
The incident happened at Oba, Idemili south local government area of Anambra state on the
The hoodlums who were said to be many, allegedly came in two hilux vehicles when they invaded the club house.
Details of the incident are still sketchy, although it was gathered that the assailants allegedly came to kidnap the owner of the club, who was at the club at the time of the incident, but were resisted by security men on duty.
The gunmen were said to have started shooting sporadically, killing some people in the process.
One of the victims was beheaded by the assailants.
The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga has confirmed the incident.
Ikenga said: “Yes, the incident happened. Our men were alerted and they quickly moved to the scene of the incident, but the gunmen had already fled.
“Our men have recovered the bodies of the vigilante operatives who were fatally wounded, while others sustained various degrees of injury.
“We have also fully deployed our men to Oba, and the operation is ongoing. So far, no arrest has been made”.
It was gathered that the gunmen arrived at the nightclub claiming that they wanted to kidnap the club owner, but security men resisted them.
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Following resistance from vigilante operatives, the gunmen started shooting sporadically, killing many people in the process.
In a related development, the traditional ruler of Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River, Etiyin Maurice Edet, was on Sunday night abducted by gunmen at his residence in the council area.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that an aide to the traditional ruler was shot dead in the process of the kidnapping.
The spokesperson of the state Police Command, SP Irene Ugbo, confirmed the incident but said details were unknown to her as at press time.
A source who, however, said the traditional ruler’s aide was killed as he tried to prevent his principal from being abducted.
Akpabuyo, notorious for criminal activities, is less than 15 kilometres from Calabar, the capital city of the state.
Meanwhile, Prof Patrick Egaga of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) has been released by his abductors after 26 days in captivity.
Egaga who is UNICAL’s Director of Servicom, was abducted in the institution’s staff quarters after which his abductors demanded for a ransom of N50 million.
NAN reports that Calabar and its environs have witnessed increase in cases of abduction in the past few months.
The targets for abduction are usually lecturers, lawyers, medical doctors, clergymen and high profile individuals.