By Mick Oseji, Asaba
Gunmen on Monday attacked the Umunze Police Station in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State in the early hours, shooting severally into the air before forcefully gaining entrance into the premises.
Some police officers were said to have been shot dead as the assailants suspected to be members of the South – East region’s secessionist group caught the police operatives unaware, according to some sources.
The attackers who masked their faces also set parts of the premises ablaze, using improvised explosive devices.
“The masked hoodlums shot repeatedly into the air as they marched towards the gate of the police premises early this morning and their gunshots woke residents of the neighbourhood and threw them into panic.
“They shot and injured some police officers as they forcefully entered the premises. The incident happened within a short space of time, they burnt some parts of the building and were about to cause more mayhem before the attack was repelled in an exchange of gunfire by the officers on duty, after which the hoodlums escaped back into their hideouts,” one of the sources said.
The Daily Crucible reports that a month earlier, people the police suspected as secessionist group attacked the Oba Police Divisional Headquarters and Oba Civic Centre, in Idemili South LGA of the state, kìlling a police corporal and injuring several others in the process.
The Spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in a statement, saying the police have launched a manhunt on the fleeing assailants.
He said the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Nnaghe Itam, had visited the scene, for an assessment to reinforce and reassess security deployment.
Ikenga said, “The Joint Security Forces comprising of the Police, Army, Navy, Civil defence and other security agencies recovered five unexploded improvised explosives and are on the trail of the arsonists and armed secessionist group members, who in the early hours of today 16/9/2024 attacked the Umunze Police Station.
“The suspected armed proscribe group invaded the police facility with improvised explosives, shooting sporadically and fire caught part of the station.
“Unfortunately, two of the police operatives on duty during the gun battle in a bid to resist the assailants from causing more havoc paid the supreme price. Their bodies have been recovered and taken to the morgue.
“The CP calls on anyone who has any information that will aid the investigation to come forward. He also assures utmost confidentiality to any such information in this regard, please.”
