No fewer than four members of an armed gang have been killed in a midnight shootout at the Aguata police divisional headquarters and the Neni Police Station, Ekwulobia, in the Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.

UGAMATV gathered that the hoodlums arrived at the police station in Aguata around 8pm on Sunday, but were confronted by the policemen on duty.

An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “There was panic in the community as people remained awake throughout because of gunshots. The gunshots started around 8pm and continued into the midnight.”

The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, in a statement on Monday, said police operatives killed four of the hoodlums.

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The statement read in part, “The operatives demobilised four of the armed hoodlums and recovered 17 pieces of 7.62mm live ammunition for AK-47rifles, 107 pieces of expended 7.62mm ammunition for AK-47 rifles, seven pieces of expended cartridges for pump-action rifles, 10 pieces of expended 7.62mm long for Lar rifles, one big hammer, three phones and a wallet containing identity cards and some ATM cards.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that one of the four demobilised miscreants, now late, Mr Onyebuchi Okoye, 34, who led the attack on the Aguata divisional headquarters, was arrested earlier on November 4, 2021 with a revolver pistol and six 9mm ammunition by police operatives.

“He was charged to court for conspiracy to commit felony and unlawful possession of firearms under Section 495 of the Criminal Code and on January 21, 2022, was granted bail by the court.”

The police spokesman also revealed that Neni Police Station was also attacked, but the gunmen fled the scene due to the superior firepower of the operatives on duty.

He said both stations were intact and no arm or life was lost.

Ikenga said the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, Echeng Echeng, while reacting to the killing of the hoodlums, charged men of the command to sustain and increase the onslaught against crime in the state.