US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has provided clarification regarding the assault on US Mission personnel on Tuesday in Anambra State.
In a statement on Wednesday, Blinken confirmed the incident and said that in the state’s Ogbaru Local Government Area (LGA), unidentified gunmen attacked a convoy of two US government vehicles that were reportedly carrying nine Nigerian citizens, including five US Mission to Nigeria employees and four members of the Nigeria Police Force.
The American government official said that the Nigerians were en route before US Mission officers were scheduled to pay a visit to a US-funded flood response project in Anambra.
He claimed that the attackers killed at least four members of the convoy and made it quite clear that the protection and safety of American servicemen is the country’s top priority.
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She stated: “The US Mission personnel are working urgently with Nigerian counterparts to ascertain the location and condition of the members of the convoy who are unaccounted for,” he said.
“We condemn in the strongest terms this attack. We will work closely with our Nigerian law enforcement colleagues in seeking to bring those responsible to justice.”
The US promised to take all necessary steps to securely locate those who were still missing and offered its “heartfelt condolences” to the families of those slain in the incident.
“We deeply value our relationship with our Locally Employed Staff and our partnership with Nigeria. The United States reaffirms its commitment to the people of Nigeria to assist in the fight against violence and insecurity,” he said.
