By Ade Martins-
Two staff members of the U.S Consulate in Nigeria who are not citizens were among the four people killed by armed assailants when an American convoy was attacked on Tuesday, the State Department said.
The staff members, who were not U.S. citizens and who haven’t yet been publicly identified, were killed by people who were “linked with criminal groups” in the country’s southeast, U.S. officials said.
Two members of a local Police Mobile Force were also dead following the assault, Nigerian police officials sad. The victims’ bodies were later set on fire, officials said.
The consulate staff had been traveling in the Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State as part of a humanitarian effort when their vehicles were struck at about 3:30 p.m. local time, officials said.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said the State Department was investigating the incident.
“What I can tell you is that no U.S. citizens were involved, and therefore, there were no U.S. citizens hurt,” he said during a midday briefing at the White House. “But we are aware of some casualties, perhaps even some killed.”
Security forces deployed to the scene, said Tochukwu, but the gunmen managed to abduct two police operatives and a driver.
A “rescue/recovery operation” was underway Tuesday evening, he added in his statement.
US national security council spokesperson John Kirby confirmed the attack during a briefing with reporters in Washington DC.
“A US convoy of vehicles was attacked. What I can tell you is that no US citizens were involved,” Kirby said.
The state department also confirmed the attack.
“US Mission Nigeria personnel are working with Nigerian security services to investigate,” a spokesperson said.
“The security of our personnel is always paramount, and we take extensive precautions when organizing trips to the field.”
Separatists who operate in the region have escalated their attacks in recent years, usually targeting police or government buildings.
The military is Nigeria has been battling a 14-year-old jihadist insurgency in the north-east, gangs who kidnap and kill in the north-west and central states and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.