Three weeks ago, gunmen attacked the Aninri Divisional Police Station, Enugu State, killed two policemen and injured three others including a female police officer.
The gunmen did not only leave a tale of sorrow at the station but went ahead to set fire on all police patrol vans sighted within the vicinity at the time of their operation, which was reportedly executed in commando style.
It was learnt that the gunmen stormed Aninri Police Station in exotic vehicles including a jeep and unleashed their superior firepower on policemen, who were on duty as of the time of the attack.
Two of the policemen were caught by the bullets and they died instantly while others including the female police officer escaped with bullet wounds.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Eneh, narrowly escaped from the gunmen.
The gang, after setting the police patrol vehicles at the station on fire, escaped. However, a source linked the shooting at Aninri Police Station to a disagreement between two rival groups in Mpu community, the home of Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
It was learnt that a self-acclaimed witch doctor in one group allegedly charmed a young man belonging to the rival group. In reprisal, the other group took laws into their hands and killed the said witch doctor.
Following the killing, the police moved into Mpu town and rounded up some young men, believed to have participated in the killing and who it was gathered, were loyalists of some politicians in the area.
Even as controversy over the killing was raging, a report came to the police station that robbers were operating in a nearby community. The police reportedly swung into action and gave the robbers a hot pursuit but the bandits abandoned their operational vehicles at a point in the same Mpu community and escaped.
When the policemen could not get the robbers, they forcefully arrested some youths of the community and took them to the station.
The arrest of the youths reportedly stirred up the shooting at the police station that led to the death of the two policemen.
However Amaraizu said that only one policeman died in the Mpu incident. The police spokesperson told Daily Independent on phone that the manhunt for the perpetrators was ongoing.
About the same period, Enugu State Focal Person of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Uche Ani, was also abducted from his Enugu residence by suspected kidnappers.
It was gathered that Ani who rode on his official Land Cruiser jeep, was returning to his residence at No 38 Igbariam Street, Achalla Layout, Enugu, when he was waylaid by the kidnappers, who operated on a 604 Peugeot vehicle.
The incident occurred around 9.pm.
Just as the victim parked in front of his gate, the hoodlums parked their car beside his jeep, swiftly alighted and ordered him to come down from the jeep at gun point.
As Ani came down from the vehicle, he was reportedly beaten up and forced into the Peugoet car before the vehicle sped off.
Ani regained his freedom after spending a week in the den of his abductors.
Daily Independent gathered that he has re-united with his family but the details of his release were yet to be disclosed by Police.
The UNDP official added to the long list of those who had fallen victim to kidnappers in Enugu in the past six months.
Other notable victims include Francis Edemobi, younger brother of Minister of Information and Communication, Prof. Dora Akunyili; South East Regional Manager of Guarantee Trust Bank, Kingsley Osuala; son of Ifeanyi Ononiba, an Enugu-based hotelier and Ngozi Ngene, the wife of chairman of Enugu South Local Government Area, Sam Ngene.
Apart from Ononiba, who allegedly paid N5 million ransom to secure his son's freedom, police lived up to expectation in most other cases, setting the victims free and apprehending suspected kidnappers.
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