The police in Imo Friday repelled a ‘deadly attack’ by members of an outlawed group, an official has said.
Friday’s attack was the fifth on police facilities in the South-eastern state.
Police spokesperson Michael Abattam, in a Friday statement, said the attack was carried out by suspected members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on the Mbieri Police Divisional Headquarters.
Mr Abbatam said the gunmen used explosives. He said the explosives caused minimal damage to some ‘unserviceable vehicles and some windows’ in the facility.
“The hoodlums, who threw improvised explosive devices into the station and shot sporadically, were overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the combat-ready police operatives, forcing them to retreat in panic, escaping in their vehicles,” he said.
“No life was lost or injury sustained by the operatives and no arms/ammunition were carted away,” the police spokesperson added.
Mr Abbatam said the acting Commissioner of Police in the state, Maman Giwa, enjoined residents of the state to continue to support efforts against insecurity by “giving security agencies, especially the police, credible and timely information for prompt action”.
He said the command has begun an investigation into the incident and other efforts are being made to arrest the fleeing suspects.
The hostilities against security operatives by suspected IPOB members have increased in recent weeks.
Aside from this latest incident, the gunmen had attacked police facilities in Okwelle, Omuma, Isu, and Umuguma, where at least two police officers were killed and several vehicles razed.
These attacks, which happened in the state in the last one month, have been linked to the outlawed secessionist group, IPOB.
The group is seeking the creation of an independent state of Biafra to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south regions of Nigeria.
Credit: Premium Times