Gunmen attack another police station, kill officer

Armed men in the early hours of Sunday attacked a police division in Ebonyi, killing one mobile police officer, an official has said.

The gunmen were, however, repelled by the police officers who succeeded in killing one of the attackers, the Ebonyi police spokesperson, Loveth Odah, said in a Sunday morning statement.

“At 1200hrs of Sunday, hoodlums, numbering about 20 in a Mitsubishi L300 Bus, and some others on foot, came in through the back fence and attacked one of our divisions at Ugbuodo Divisional Headquarters in Ebonyi Local Government Area of the state,” Ms Odah said.

“The attackers entered and immediately opened fire, shooting sporadically at policemen on duty but were swiftly challenged and repelled in a gun battle that ensued. One of the attackers was killed.

“His AK47 rifle, GSM Phone and Jackknife were recovered while others escaped with bullet wounds. However, one Mobile Police Personnel paid the supreme price.

“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi Command, Aliyu Garba, has visited the division for an on the spot assessment of the situation.

“He has also ordered a manhunt for the fleeing hoodlums with a view to arresting them for prosecution,” she said.

The Ebonyi incident is the latest in a series of attacks on police officers and facilities in the South-east and South-south states.

According to reports how dozens of police officers have been killed in the past two months in the two regions.

The police have blamed the attacks on an outlawed group, IPOB, which seeks an independent Biafra country from the two regions.

Many IPOB members have also been killed or arrested for their alleged roles in the attacks.

The group has, however, denied any responsibility for the attacks.