Two officers were injured when gunmen on Monday morning attacked the Otoko Divisional Police Headquarters in the Obowo Local Government Area of Imo State.
The police Divisional headquarters is situated on the Owerri – Umuahia Express Road.
Community sources told our correspondent that the attack started at about 3am and lasted for many hours.
A source said the sounds of the weapons being used were terrifying, as many ran into the bushes while others took cover in their houses.
Police Officers were said to have engaged the gunmen in a gun duel before they ran away.
The injured policemen have been taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment, our correspondent gathered.
The Public Relations Officer, CSP Mike Abattam, when contacted. confirmed the incident.
He said, “On the 28th day of March, 2022 at about 0200 hours, armed men suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)/ Eastern Security Network ( ESN ), its militia wing came in their numbers from the rear of the division, which is an ungoverned forest, threw petrol bombs and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) that fell on the transit camp and a vehicle, shooting sporadically.
“The police operatives of the division and some of the Command’s Tactical Teams responded swiftly, engaging the hoodlums in a fierce gun duel preventing them from gaining entrance to the station and in the process forced the hoodlums into retreating and they escaped back into the forest with various degrees of bullet wounds.
“The police operatives gave them a hot chase and while combing the bush the following items were recovered on the spot: three undetonated explosives, four expended AK 47 rifles ammunition, five live cartridges, 33 expended cartridges, two masks, one pump action gun and a motor saw machine.
“Meanwhile, apart from the minimal damage to the transit camp and a vehicle, no life was lost.
“However, the police operative who sustained minor gunshot injury has been treated.”
Last week, the home of the President-General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo was attacked by bandits and the same night, a police station in Umuguma, Owerri West, was also attacked.
Consequently, President Muhammadu Buhari, on March 21, approved the deployment of more security personnel, arms and ammunition to address the security situation in Imo State.
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