Six Hours of Fire: Joint Security Forces Dismantle Notorious Criminal Camp in Anambra Forest

 

Ogbunka, Orumba South, Anambra State – In a daring and intense operation that lasted over six hours, a combined team of security operatives led by the Nigerian Police dislodged a fortified criminal camp in Ogbunka, Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The operation, which was a product of painstaking intelligence gathering over time, brought together elite units from various arms of Nigeria’s security architecture. It included personnel from the 302 Artillery Regiment of the Nigerian Army, operatives from the Nigerian Navy under the Naval Command, officers from the Department of State Security (DSS), and the Anambra State Vigilante Service.

According to a statement released by the Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Tochukwu Ikenga, the coordinated security team engaged the heavily armed criminals in a fierce gun duel that raged for more than six hours. In the exchange of gunfire, the operatives successfully neutralized explosive devices that had been tactically placed by the criminals to shield their camp.

Despite the criminals’ desperate resistance and use of improvised explosive devices, the superior firepower and tactical discipline of the Joint Security Team prevailed. The armed hoodlums, overwhelmed by the unrelenting assault, eventually fled the scene. However, security sources confirmed that many of the fleeing suspects sustained varying degrees of gunshot wounds.

In the aftermath of the battle, the operatives conducted a thorough sweep of the camp. What they discovered painted a grim picture of the scale of criminality that had been festering in the area. Recovered from the site were large quantities of relief materials including cooking pots, bags of foodstuffs, and several dismembered parts suspected to have been taken from stolen vehicles. These findings suggest the camp had not only served as a hideout but also as a logistics base for prolonged criminal operations.

The operation has been hailed as a significant victory in the ongoing effort to flush out criminal elements terrorizing parts of Anambra State. Superintendent Ikenga stated that the security team has since secured the area, ensuring sustained dominance to prevent any resurgence of criminal activity and to facilitate the capture of fleeing suspects.

“The Command is committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of Ndi Anambra and all residents of the state,” Ikenga emphasized. “The safety of lives and protection of property remains our utmost priority.”

Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, has applauded the gallantry of the officers involved in the operation, many of whom had recently returned from national security assignments during political primaries. The Commissioner noted that their swift redeployment to tackle the Ogbunka threat demonstrated the professionalism and readiness of the force to respond to dynamic security challenges.

“This victory is not just a blow to the criminals but a reaffirmation that the security of Anambra will not be compromised,” he declared. “We are fully mobilized to confront and dismantle every cell threatening peace in our communities.”

The operation is expected to yield further breakthroughs as the security agencies follow up with intelligence-driven efforts to arrest the injured fugitives and completely neutralize the network that had taken root in the dense Ogbunka forest.

For the residents of Orumba South and Anambra at large, this successful operation marks a turning point—proof that when intelligence and joint force synergy align, criminality stands no chance.