Operatives Prevented Gunmen From Looting Imo Command Armoury – Police

No weapon is missing after gunmen attacked the Police Command Headquarters in Owerri, the Imo State capital, authorities have said.

Although the attackers tried to gain access to the police armoury at the security facility, the attempt was said to have been resisted by police operatives on duty.

“Police operatives on duty repelled the attackers and prevented them from breaking in and looting the armoury. The armoury is thus intact,” the police said in a series of tweets on Monday hours after the incident.

They added, “The police suffered no human casualty, apart from a Police Constable who sustained a minor bullet wound on his shoulder.

“Meanwhile, one of the operational vehicles of the attackers has been recovered by the police and is currently being subjected to forensic scrutiny and investigations.”

Apart from the police command, the attacks also invaded the Owerri Custodial Centre where a total of 1,844 inmates were forcefully released.

However, authorities said six of the fleeing inmates had returned while 35 others refused to escape from custody.

In his reaction, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, condemned the attack on the security outfits and ordered the immediate deployment of additional units of Police Mobile Force (PMF) and other police tactical squads to Imo to strengthen security in the state and prevent further attacks on security formations or any other critical national infrastructure in the state.

He also directed the Commissioner of Police in Imo and a new Special Investigation Team to carry out holistic investigations into the incident, with a view to arresting and bringing the perpetrators of the attacks to justice.

Adamu who described the incident as an attack on the soul of the nation called on all leaders in Imo, the South East, and other parts of the country to speak out against unfolding violence and criminality.

He appealed to the people to avail the police and other security agencies with useful information that could assist in identifying and arresting the criminals.

“Preliminary investigations have revealed that the attackers, who came in their numbers with sophisticated weapons such as General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), Sub-Machine Guns (SMGs), AK49 rifles, Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), are members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)/Eastern Security Network (ESN),” another tweet from the police read.