50 gunmen attack Enugu govthouse

Security personnel foiled an attempt by about 50 armed men to forcefully gain control of the Enugu State Government House in the early hours of Saturday.
Police officers, men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and soldiers were among the security operatives who shot several times at the invaders and prevented them from gaining entry into the government house. Codewit World News learnt that one of the attackers was killed during the shoot-out and three others were arrested.

 The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sullivan Chime, Mr. Chukwudi Achife confirmed the incident. He said the shoot-out lasted till about 4.30am, adding that no security personnel was injured during the attack.

Achife added that the arrested persons, along with some of the weapons, have been handed over to the Enugu State Police Command for further investigations. A police source told our correspondent that the attackers arrived the government house in seven buses and parked about 400metres from the gate.

 He said, “They carried flags with different inscriptions and insignia belonging to some secret cults.” They were said to have told the security men to open the gate claiming that they were at the government house on a protest. According to eyewitness account, when one the NSCDC officials opened the gate to ask why they decided to come in the night, one of the invaders made attempts to forcefully open the gate.
“Sensing that there was danger, the security operatives rushed out only to see many of them with machetes, giving orders to their members to move into the government house,” said an eyewitness. It was gathered that the security operatives succeeded in repelling them after hours of shooting. They had pursued them from the government house premises into the Independence Layout but only succeeded in arresting three o f the invaders.