May 17, 2023

The United States Government has said that no American citizen was affected in a Tuesday attack on its Consulate staff convoy along Atani, Osamale Road in Anambra State, Nigeria.

According to Channels TV report, the US National Security Council Spokesperson, John Kirby said, “I just got informed about a whole lot before coming out here to talk to you all. Just looks like a US convoy vehicle was attacked.”

“What I can tell you is that no US citizens were involved and therefore there was no US citizens hurt. But we are aware of some casualties perhaps even some killed,” he said on his YouTube channel.

The spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, Tobechukwu Ikenga also said no US citizen was in the convoy though four persons were killed in the attack.

“The Joint Security Forces have embarked on a rescue/recovery operation in Ogbaru LGA, following an attack on a convoy of staff of U S Consulate today 16/5/2023 by 3:30 pm along Atani, Osamale Road,” he said in a statement.

“The hoodlums murdered two of the PMF operatives, and two staff of the Consulate, and set their bodies and vehicles ablaze. Also, the arsonist/murderers on sighting the responding joint security forces abducted two Police operatives, the driver of the second vehicle and took to their heels. No US citizen was in the convoy.”

The incident is the latest in a series of attacks in Anambra. In recent times, there have been targeted assaults on security and government facilities and high-profile people or organisations in the state.