The Police in Anambra on Saturday confirmed the killing of two of its operatives and one civilian car tracker by criminals at Amukabra Achalla Awka North Local Government Area of the state.

The command’s spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement in Awka, said the trio were killed after the hoodlums kidnapped them while on a mission to recover a stolen vehicle.

Mr Ikenga said the incident which happened on Friday July 15, made the police to launch a counter attack during which it uncovered that the two police and civilian car tracker had been killed and their bodies set ablaze.

“The police team was on a recovery operation of a Toyota Sienna Space Wagon vehicle earlier snatched at gunpoint on July 9, at Oye-Agu Abagana community.

“Four of the Police operatives escaped the ambush, while two of the police operatives and the car tracker were captured by the criminals.

“During the counter offensive operation, police neutralised some of the armed men and destroyed three  of their camps.

“Unfortunately,  some of the hoodlums escaped with bullet wounds, haven already murdered their captives and set their bodies ablaze.

“The remains of the two murdered police officers and the civilian tracker have been recovered and deposited in a morgue, while police operation is still  ongoing in the area to track the fleeing gang members,” he said.

The police spokesperson also said they recovered one human skull, two locally made Rocket Propelled Grande (RPG) bombs, one single barrel long gun, empty chain of bullet, one Toyota Sienna, one Mercedes Benz Formatic jeep, and two cylinders.

He further stated that the team equally recovered huge quantities of hard drugs of different kinds, one police beret and belt.

The statement quoted the Commissioner of Police, Echeng Echeng, to have condoled families of the murdered civilian and police operatives.

(NAN)