From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The Imo State Police Command at the early hours of Sunday repeled attack by gunmen who attempted to raze the Omuma Divisional Police Station, in Oru West Local Government Area of the State, hometown of Governor Hope Uzodimma .
However, four of the hoodlums were shot dead by security agents who repelled them.
According to a statement by Imo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Michael Abattam, the gunmen suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network(ESN) of the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB), came with explosives and other dangerous weapons to attack the station, but were subdued by the swift response of the tactical team of the command and the officers of the Department of State Services(DSS) on ground.
“The police operatives engaged the hoodlums in fierce gun duel and in the process four of the bandits were neutralised on the spot, while other scampered into the bush having suffered a huge defeat, with a number of them sustaining various degrees of bullet wounds. While there was no casualty on the side of the joint security operatives”. Abattam said.
He said Police Anti Bomb Unit has taken custody of five undetonated different capacities of Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs), recovered from the neutralised bandits for detonation ,as well as their charms .
According to Daily Sun Investigation, gunmen on the previous night, also attacked operatives of the Abba vigilance group and Abba Security Network in Nwangele LGA of the state.
A source from the community told our correspondent that the vigilance groups were as usual on duty patrolling the community at about 10 pm when the gunmen attacked them.
The source said that the gunmen who stormed the community with over 10 motorcycles,shot sporadically in the air to scare the natives, who were almost getting ready to go to bed.
He said:”They came from Okwelle community in the Onuimo LGA and chased members of the vigilantce group , shooting at their vehicle and they abandoned it and fled into the bush. The gunmen chased them inside the bush, shooting sporadically, “but frustrated that they could not achieve their aim, they visited their anger on their Sienna bus being used for patrol and set it on fire,” the source said.
