Following a violent armed attack on police operatives at Akpakume community in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, which left several officers injured and vehicles destroyed, operatives of the State Police Command have arrested at least 13 suspects and recovered a locally made firearm.
According to a statement issued by the Enugu State Police Command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Daniel Ndukwe, who confirmed the development through a statement issued to newsmen, said the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, November 3, 2025, when officers moved in to arrest suspects involved in a case of conspiracy, unlawful possession of firearms, and cultism.
According to Ndukwe, the operation, however, took a deadly turn as the suspects and their cohorts, who had laid an ambush, opened fire on the police team, injuring some operatives and damaging their operational vehicle.
“The operatives, however, swiftly responded with superior firepower, forcing many of the criminal elements to flee with varying degrees of severe gunshot injuries,” the statement read, just as it also confirmed that one locally made single-barreled gun was recovered during the operation, while others linked to the attack remain at large.
In the aftermath of the assault, according to the statement, the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, psc, led a team of senior officers to Akpakume for an on-the-spot assessment of the damage. The CP reportedly met a scene of widespread destruction, with houses, shops, crops, and livestock belonging to residents destroyed by the hoodlums.
Preliminary investigations, according to the Command, revealed that the violence is linked to a lingering intra-communal conflict within the area.
CP Giwa, who condemned the attack, urged residents to remain calm and law-abiding, assuring them that the Police Command will “stop at nothing to bring all perpetrators to justice.”
“We have intensified our manhunt for the fleeing assailants and will ensure that everyone responsible for this attack and related crimes faces the full weight of the law,” the Commissioner vowed.
The police appealed to members of the public to assist with credible information that could lead to the arrest of the remaining suspects, as the Command continues its operation to restore peace and security in the troubled community.
