The Anambra state joint security force has extended its manhunt for criminals attacking security formations in the state to Ogbaru forest.

SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the police public relations officer in Anambra, made the disclosure in a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday in Onitsha.

According to him, troops of the Nigerian Army and the Navy lent considerable firepower to the operation, which completely routed the hoodlums from their hideouts in the forest.

“Several camps were found and destroyed during the operation, which lasted several hours.

“Nine Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) recovered from the camps were safely defused by Police Bomb Squad,” he said.

The spokesperson said that the Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Aderemi Adeoye, commended the military for its steadfastness in supporting the fight against criminality.

Mr Adeoye thanked the State Security Service (SSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and various vigilante groups across the state for their wonderful synergy that is yielding results.

He also warned cultists running amok in the state capital to be aware that their days are numbered.

The statement reads that security officers will not fold their hands and watch cultists destabilise the state in the name of cult rivalry, leading to fatalities.

(NAN)