Police foil attack on Imo Palace, gun down IPOB militants

Some members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) who attempted to attack Imo State Chairman Council Of Traditional Rulers, His Royal Highness Eze Dr E. C Okeke, have been shot dead.

The hoodlums, who were in three Hilux vehicle, reportedly shot sporadically as they advanced towards their target.

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CSP Michael Abatham, Police Public Relations Officer in Imo, said upon receipt of intelligence that the hoodlums were headed for the palace, the Command’s Tactical Team joined by the military immediately mobilized and rushed there.

“On their way, the hoodlums on sighting the combined team engaged them in a gun duel, throwing petrol bombs. The gallant team responded, positioning themselves professionally. In the exchange of gun fire that ensued, the hoodlums were overwhelmed due to the superior fire-power of the combined team and in the process, six of the hoodlums were neutralized while others escaped with various degrees of gunshot injuries.”

“The combined team did not relent in their effort, they chased the hoodlums recovering one pump action gun, three blood stained cutlasses and three Hilux Vehicles suspected to have been snatched from innocent citizens.

“However, calm has been restored in the area and the corpses of the neutralized bandits removed and deposited in the mortuary. On the side of the combined team, no life was lost apart from one of the police vehicles that got burnt due to the fire that ignited it from the petrol bomb,” he said in a statement.

IPOB has stepped up its attacks since the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu, its leader.