Paul Osuyi, Asaba

Armed youths have reportedly attacked a police checkpoint in Asaba, Delta State where they injured four police officers and dispossessed them of their weapons.

The injured officers, as at the time of filing this report on Friday, were receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital.

The attack occurred at the popular Bonsac junction along the Asaba-Onitsha expressway where the police mounted a checkpoint.

A resident in the area told our correspondent in confidence that the incident happened on Wednesday night, adding that four service guns belonging to the policemen including two AK47 were carted away by the hoodlums numbering about 12.

The source disclosed that the incident led to panic around the Bonsac area as armed police operatives later raided the area arresting youths indiscriminately.

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Speaking on the Asaba incident, one of the residents who witnessed the attack said: “The incident took place at Moziac Junction along the Asaba-Onitsha road. The incident happened on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, at about 9pm.

“We don’t know how it happened but the hoodlums numbering 11 macheted some policemen with four sustaining life-threatening injuries.

“The policemen were rushed to hospitals through the assistance of residents of the area. One of them was in coma at the time they were rushed to hospitals,” the source narrated.

Another source who also confirmed the incident added that “they (hoodlums) collected their arms and the policemen are in the hospital right now. They took two AK47 riffles and two pistols from them.”

Contacted, the state Commissioner of Police, Adeyinka Adeleke, said he was on leave, while the Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Onome Onovowakpoyeya denied knowledge of the attack.

Unauthorized sources at the state police command, however, confirmed the attack, and denied that operatives embarked on arrest indiscriminately but that the matter was being investigated.