Three vigilante operatives were, on Thursday, killed when gunmen bombed headquarters of Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, southeast Nigeria.

The incident happened at about 2 a.m.

The gunmen reportedly threw Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) into the council headquarters, destroying properties and killing the security officials.

Sources from the community told this newspaper that the IEDs razed several buildings in the secretariat.

“They (gunmen) also beheaded one of the vigilante operatives after killing them,” a source, who asked not to be named, said.

Police spokesperson in Anambra state, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in a statement on Thursday.

Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, said police operatives arrived in the area in response to a distress call at 2:55 a.m.

He said the gunmen had already killed the three vigilante operatives and also beheaded one of them before arrival of the operatives.

Five of the buildings in the secretariat were set ablaze by the gunmen with the IEDs and some petrol bombs, he said.

The buildings affected by the fire, according to sources in the community, include the administrative block of the council headquarters, a primary healthcare office and an office of Independent National Electoral Commission.

Others are the office of the National Youth Service Corps, an education office and an office of the National Civil Defense.

“One of the attackers was neutralized,” the police spokesperson said, adding that the presence of the operatives prevented the hoodlums from causing further damage.

Ikenga said some of the gunmen fled the scene with bullet wounds when they were challenged by the operatives.

“Bodies of the victims were recovered and joint operations are still ongoing,” he said.

Two locally made IED launchers, seven undetonated IEDs, 40 pieces of live cartridges, 15 live 7.62 MM AK-47 ammunition, knives and charms were among items recovered from the gunmen during the operation, according to the police.

PT