Gunmen kill officer in fresh attack, raze police facility in Imo

A police officer was killed on Saturday when gunmen attacked the Oguta Divisional Police Headquarters in Oguta Local Government Area. Imo StateSouth-eastern Nigeria.

The gunmen, who attacked in broad daylight, also set police facilities on fire.

The police spokesman in Imo State, Henry Okoye, disclosed this to newsmen in Owerri, the state capital, Vanguard newspaper reported.

Mr. Okoye, the assistant superintendent of police, said police operatives engaged gunmen in a shootout during the attack.

The hoodlums fled the scene when they were overpowered by the operatives, he said.

“Unfortunately, one of the personnel, whose identity has not been disclosed for security reasons, paid the ultimate price,” a police spokesman said.

Mr. Okoye said the police in the state had started operations to track down the hoodlums.

More insecure

Like other states in the south-east of Nigeria, security has deteriorated in Imo State with frequent attacks by armed men.

These attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.

The latest attack came about three days after gunmen, suspected to be members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), attacked the Agwa Vigilante Group in Agwa Community in the same council area of ​​the state.

Three suspected IPOB members were killed by the police who foiled the attack.

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The Nigerian government has accused IPOB of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied involvement in the attack.

IPOB is a group that is leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants to carve out of the South-East and some parts of South-South Nigeria.