October 24, (THEWILL) – The Ebonyi State Police Command Police has confirmed the attack on Unwana Divisional Headquarters in Afikpo North Local Government Area of the State on Sunday but denied any policeman was killed in the attack.
A resident source in the area had claimed on Sunday that three policemen and one gunman lost their lives in the attack.
According to the source, “The incident happened around 2am. Nobody knows the route they came from. All we heard was gunshots for about 10 minutes. At the moment, there is no detail about the level of destruction or whether they made away with anything from the police station.
“They killed 3 policemen: one constable and two Inspectors and the police killed one of the gunmen. Nobody knows the identity of the gunmen and police have taken the corpses away. The men were masked. The face of the one killed was unveiled by the police and that will help the police to ascertain his identity. He was also wearing a charm round his waist.”
However, a statement on Sunday afternoon by the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Loveth Odah, blamed suspected members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN) for the attack.
The statement disclosed that the attackers, numbering over 35, stormed the station, shooting sporadically at policemen on duty, who immediately repelled them.
“In the gun battle that ensued, one (1) of the hoodlums was killed and two AK47 rifles and other incriminating items were recovered while others escaped with bullet wound injuries. Regrettably, one Police Inspector attached to the Division was fatally wounded. The Police Facility/Operational vehicles are intact”, the statement said, adding that the deceased suspect had been on the police wanted list for various attacks on police stations and one of the recovered AK-47 rifles was identified to be the rifle stolen from Ohaukwu Police Division early this month.
The statement reads: “At 0300hrs of today, 24th October 2021 yet to be identified gunmen suspected to be members of proscribed IPOB/ESN numbering about thirty-five (35) attacked Unwana Divisional Headquarters in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, shooting sporadically at the policemen on duty, who immediately repelled the attackers, in the gun battle that ensued one (1) of the hoodlums was killed and two AK47 rifles/other incriminating items were recovered while others escaped with bullet wound injuries. Regrettably, one Police Inspector attached to the Division was fatally wounded. The Police Facility/Operational vehicles are intact.
“Investigation revealed that the deceased suspect had been on the police wanted list for various attacks on police stations and one of the recovered AK-47 rifles has been identified to be the rifle stolen from Ohaukwu Police Division early this month.
“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police Ebonyi State Command, CP Aliyu Garba psc, has embarked on, and on the spot assessment of the Division and has also ordered a manhunt on the fleeing hoodlums.”
The statement further added that the Police Commissioner had appealed to law-abiding citizens of the State to promptly volunteer useful information to unravel the true identity of the fleeing gang members.
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