Exactly a week after gunmen stormed St. Philips Catholic Church in Ozubulu, Anambra State, killing 13 innocent worshippers and injuring many others, unknown gunmen this afternoon struck in the Oguta area of Onitsha, the commercial nerve centre of the state, killing a policeman reportedly guarding the Assemblies of God Church.

Information gathered by News Express has it that the gunmen came on a bike, shot the only armed policeman on guard and made away with his rifle.

Eyewitnesses said that a commercial motorcyclist at the scene was shot dead while trying to escape and the passenger he was carrying got injured.

The dead policeman was the only one armed among his colleagues who were providing security at the church while service was in progress.

However, the police has said that incident has nothing to do with a church attack. The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, Princess Nkiru Nwode, said the attack was on policemen who were on foot patrol along Oguta Road in Onitsha. According to her, the attackers were hoodlums who disguised themselves as masquerades to dispossess innocent citizens of their belongings and in the process killed a police man and injured some others.