There was a mild drama on Wednesday in Anambra State when a local vigilante group and a police team opened fire at each other after mistaking themselves for pro-Biafra gunmen.<\/p>\n
The incident happened around 7 p.m. at Izuchukwu Junction along Nnobi-Nnewi Road in Nnewi North Local Government Area of the state, Pointblanknews.com learnt.<\/p>\n
The scene of the incident is close to Otolo Nnewi, the hometown of Ifeanyi Ubah, the deceased Nigerian senator, billed to be buried on Friday.<\/p>\n
Some residents who spoke to newsmen\u00a0 said they thought pro-Biafra gunmen who had threatened to resist the burial of the senator were in the shootout with police operatives.<\/p>\n
One of the residents, who witnessed the incident, but asked not to be named, said two passers-by hit by stray bullets were feared dead during the encounter.<\/p>\n
\u201cA Toyota Venza vehicle parked nearby caught fire during the incident and burnt to ashes,\u201d another resident, Charles Okoli, said.<\/p>\n
Mr Okoli could not say if the operatives set the vehicle ablaze during the shootout.<\/p>\n
Police speak<\/p>\n
The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said the local security operatives \u201cmistook the police operatives as unfriendly forces and opened fire at them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The police spokesperson maintained that the \u201cattack on the operatives was not from non-state actors or any attempt to disrupt the burial of late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPreliminary information shows that security operatives on investigation trailed a suspect to a security checkpoint before the gun duel ensued.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, bullets hit the fuel tank of the Toyota Venza Sedan carrying the men, and it was razed down,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo innocent passers-by were injured and taken to hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Ikenga said a joint security team had been deployed to ensure Nnewi is calm for the burial ceremony of the late senator.<\/p>\n
There was a mild drama on Wednesday in Anambra State when a local vigilante group and a police team opened fire at each other after mistaking themselves for pro-Biafra gunmen.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":115260,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n