Some gunmen have killed two police operatives in Akabo, a community in Ikeduru LGA of Imo state.
Gatekeepers News reports that residents of the area said the incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday.
One of the residents who pleaded anonymity said that the hoodlums were driving along the road when they met some police operatives at a checkpoint and subsequently opened fire on them.
The resident said “They shot two policemen dead immediately. One villager who was close to the checkpoint was also killed.”
Another resident named Ifechukwu Opara said that the gunmen started shooting continuously around villages in the community after shooting the victims.
He added that although they did not kill more people apart from the two police operatives and the resident, the aimless fire shootings frightened a lot of villagers.
A short video clip showing the attack has gone viral on Facebook.
The policemen were seen lying lifeless in the area. One of them was lying face down and lifeless along the road, while the other was seen lying dead under a tree in the area.
The clip, however, did not show the body of the resident killed during the attack.
When contacted, the police spokesman in Imo State, ASP Henry Okoye, confirmed the development.
The spokesman described the attack as a “senseless, unwarranted and unprovoked act of violence.”
Okoye said the operatives were attacked by the hoodlums, suspected to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, Eastern Security Network.
He said, “The police officers fought gallantly, but unfortunately, two of our personnel and a civilian were fatally hit.”
Okoye added that the state Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, has mobilised a police tactical squad of the command to track down the killers.
He said, “As I am talking to you now, an intense operation is currently going on in Ikeduru Local Government Area with a view of apprehending the hoodlums responsible for the attack.”
The spokesperson further said the commissioner of police has also set up “a high-powered investigating team” to investigate the attack and killing.
He referred to the tragedy as another painful and stark reminder of the sacrifices police officers make in their commitment to secure Nigerians.
