Gunmen attacked a convoy of US Embassy staffers on Tuesday in southeast Nigeria, killing two local workers and two police officers, according to police.
The attackers opened fire on the convoy in the Ogbaru area in Anambra State, one of the epicenters of the separatists, who have been creating violence in the country for years, the police reported.
According to reports, the gunmen left the area after murdering two members of the mobile police force and two staff of the US Consulate. However, no US diplomat was killed or injured in this attack since they were not part of this tripe.
The police spokesman in Anambra said security forces were deployed to the scene, however, the assailants escaped the area and took two police officers and a driver with them.
The US State Department said its personnel in Nigeria are working with the country’s security agencies to investigate Tuesday’s attack and find out the motives behind the incident.
“The security of our diplomats and personnel is of paramount importance and we take extra precautions when organizing trips to the fields,” the State Department said in a statement.
The attack raised further concerns about the safety of the residents and travelers in Atani town, located 60 kilometers far from the capital city of Abuja.
Over the past years, Nigeria has been grappling with the rise of Boko Haram and ISIS fighters. The separatists operating in Nigeria have carried outs several brutal attacks, usually targeting police or government institutions.
It is said that the separate group is running a campaign to break away from Nigeria, Africa’s most populated country and largest economy to form an independent state.
