Gunmen have attacked and set ablaze the secretariat of Ihiala LGA in Anambra State.
The Gunmen were said to have invaded the secretariat early Thursday morning, killing three vigilantes who were guarding the complex.
The gunmen reportedly threw Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) into the council headquarters and destroyed properties.
Sources from the community told newsmen that the IEDs razed several buildings in the secretariat.
The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in a statement on Thursday.
Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, said police operatives arrived in the area in response to a distress call at 2:55 a.m.
He said the gunmen had already killed the three vigilante operatives and also beheaded one of them before the arrival of the operatives.
Five of the buildings in the secretariat were set ablaze by the gunmen with the IEDs and some petrol bombs, the police spokesperson said.
“One of the attackers was neutralized,” Ikenga added that the presence of the operatives prevented the hoodlums from causing further damage.
Ikenga said some of the gunmen fled the scene with bullet wounds when they were challenged by the operatives.
“The bodies of the victims were recovered and joint operations are still ongoing,” he said.
Two locally made IED launchers, seven undetonated IEDs, 40 pieces of live cartridges, 15 live 7.62 MM AK-47 ammunition, knives and charms were among the items recovered from the gunmen during the operation, according to the police.
The buildings affected by the fire, according to sources in the community, include the administrative block of the council headquarters, a primary healthcare office and an office of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Others are the office of the National Youth Service Corps, an education office and an office of the National Civil Defense.
The incident is the latest in a string of gunmen attacks targeted at public infrastructure in the southeast geo-political zone.
Offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and police stations have been frequently attacked in the geo-political zone.
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