Five persons including two policemen have been gunned down in an early Saturday morning attack on the Izombe Police Divisional headquarters in Oguta local government area of Imo State.
This is even as the police has appealed to Imo people and hospitals to immediately report anyone with gunshot wounds.
While three gunmen were gunned down, the police command lost two men whose identities were yet to be identified.
Police spokesman for Imo State, Michael Abattam, made the disclosure in a statement on Saturday.
According to him, the gunmen who came in their numbers on Friday, August 13th attempted to gain access into the police division but were repelled by the policemen, during which there was exchange of gun fire.
Abattam said ” they came in their numbers to attack Izombe Police Station but could not gain access to the station due to the swift response of the ever alert Imo Command’s Tactical teams and Personnel of Operation Restore Peace of the command who intercepted and repelled the bandits”.
Further he said “The bandits who on sighting the police engaged them in a gun duel were subdued, due to the superior fire power of the police. They fled into the bush and in the process three of the bandits were neutralisated and their arms, one pump action gun, with two rounds of live cartridges and one locally made double barrel pistol with two expended cartridges were recovered from them to the station”.
Meanwhile two policemen have been gunned down even as the “Tactical teams are presently, in pursuit of the bandits and combing the bush for the arrest of the fleeing bandits and possible recovery of their arms”.
He explained that the fleeing gunmen sustained injuries during the shootout and called on Imo people to assist the police “with credible information that will lead to the arrest of the fleeing bandits and to report to the nearest police station any person(s) seen with bullet wounds”.
Police formations in the state have recently come under serious attacks from persons termed unknown gunmen.
Credit: Leadership