At least two persons, allegedly enforcing Monday’s sit-at-home order in Anambra, have been killed during a gunbattle with a police patrol team.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in a statement issued in Awka and made it available to newsmen.

Ikenga stated that the incident occurred in Umunze, the headquarters of Orumba South Local Government Area.

He explained that trouble started when “the hoodlums” started obstructing the movement of road users, who were going about their lawful businesses.

He added that the deceased forcefully collected motorcycles and tricycles from their operators, chased the passengers away, and set the machines on fire.

He said: The operatives on crime prevention patrol on Umunze Road in the early hours of Monday, May 16 engaged armed gunmen allegedly enforcing sit-at-home in Anambra.

“The operatives neutralized two of the miscreants and recovered a white Toyota Hiace Bus with no registration number.”

According to him, the command has intensified surveillance within the state to ensure that the situation is brought under control.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some miscreants have been going about in major towns in the state molesting law-abiding citizens under the guise of enforcing the sit-at-home order.

The proscribed Independent People of Biafra, which initially issued the order in the South-East, had long issued a counter directive, limiting it to the days its Leader, Nnamdi Kanu, would appear in court.