The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Adamu Muhammed, has asked his men to go after those who attacked the police headquarters and custodial centre in the state.
Gunmen had on Monday attacked the two federal institutions and released close to 2000 detained suspects.
The IGP, who spoke on Tuesday after inspecting the extent of damage at the state’s police headquarters and the custodial centre, said that there will be no hiding place for the members of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
The IGP insisted that IPOB members were responsible for the Imo jailbreak and the razing of the state police command.
Adamu, who urged officers to use their rifles against the IPOB members, said that: “We will go after them wherever they are hiding.
“Whether in their homes and forest, we are determined to fish them out.
“I have instructed my men to use maximum force with the guns available to us.
“We have the authority to defend the country, which they don’t have.
“We will not allow these criminals to succeed,” he added.
Meanwhile speaking while addressing officers and men of the state police command, the IGP encouraged them not to be disillusioned by what had happened but urged them to go after the hoodlums with all the power available to them.
Also speaking, Governor Hope Uzodimma, who condemned the attack on Imo State Police Command and custodial centre, said that the intention was to put fear in the people and make them vulnerable.
Uzodimma said: “This unfortunate tragedy can only be condemned by every reasonable mind, the intention was to put fear into our people and make them vulnerable.
“I can assure you that my government working with security agencies shall rise to the occasion to get to the end of the matter.
“I have already commissioned a detailed investigation into this incident in a bid to finding out the perpetrators and masterminders of this ugly incident, luckily for us, no life was lost.
He assured Imo people that his government is doing everything possible to ensure that the dastardly incident never repeats itself.