Two policemen have been killed after gunmen attacked the Isu divisional police headquarters in Imo State.
It was gathered that policemen on duty on Monday engaged the hoodlums in a gun battle, as the gang threw Improvised Explosive Devices into the station.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mike Abattam, who confirmed the attack and death of the two cops in a statement, said some suspects had been arrested.
The statement read in part, “Armed men, suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network, in their numbers, came in two Toyota Sienna buses, a Toyota Camry car and an unspecified number of motorcycles. They attacked the station from the rear axis because the station had no perimeter wall, shooting sporadically. They also threw petrol bombs and Improvised Explosive Devices that ignited the station.
“The police operatives of the division immediately responded by engaging the hoodlums in a gun duel. Due to the superior firepower of the police, the hoodlums were dealt a heavy blow and they scampered for safety, running in different directions with various degrees of gunshot wounds.
“The gallant police operatives did not relent; they gave the hoodlums a hot chase and while escaping, some ran into the Golden Suite Hotel and Isu Villa Hotel, respectively. The two hotels were immediately cordoned off and raided and in the process, a total of 12 motorcycles without identification numbers and two vehicles, one Lexus RX 350 SUV and one Lexus RX 330 SUV, believed to have been used by the hoodlums, were seen and recovered. Also, 17 male and one female suspects were arrested and undergoing interrogation.
“However, the fire and IED affected some vehicles and part of the building of the division, and unfortunately, two police officers paid the supreme prize, while one sustained minor bullet injuries in the head.”