By Wilson Adekumola
At least four people, including two US embassy staff, were killed on Tuesday as gunmen attacked the embassy’s convoy in Anambra.
According to Anambra State Police Command, two policemen and two local staff of the US embassy were killed in attack while three others were kidnapped.
The attackers “murdered two police operatives and two staff of the US consulate and set their bodies and their vehicles ablaze,” CNN quoted Anambra police command as saying.
However, the personnel who were killed were not US citizens, according to the White House and the local police.
“No US citizens were involved and therefore there were no US citizens hurt,” CNN quoted John Kirby of the US National Security Council as saying. “We are aware of some casualties, perhaps even some killed.”
CNN reported that the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ikenga Tochukwu, said that when the assailants saw security forces, they went away with two police operatives and a driver of the second vehicle in the convoy, reiterating that no US citizen was in the convoy.
Police said that joint security forces “have embarked on a rescue and recovery operation in the area.”
A State Department spokesperson said Tuesday that “Mission Nigeria personnel are working with Nigerian security services to investigate.”
“The security of our personnel is always paramount, and we take extensive precautions when organising trips to the field.”
It was learnt that no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, Anambra is one of the south-east states that has witnessed series of attacks from gunmen believed to be members of the proscribed separatist group, IPOB.
Hundreds of people have been reportedly killed and many others kidnapped in Anambra and neighbouring states like Enugu and Imo.
The group seeks an independent country of Biafra for Igbos from South-east Nigeria but does not enjoy the support of majority of Igbos.
IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu is currently being detained by the federal government in Abuja where is facing treason charges.
