Officer killed as gunmen attack another police facility in Nigeria's South-east

Gunmen have killed another police operative in Imo State, south-east Nigeria.

The incident happened on Wednesday at a junction in Umulogho, a community in Obowo Local Government Area of the state, according to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The latest attack came barely 24 hours after gunmen bombed Oba Police Divisional Headquarters in Anambra, another state in the South-east.

The Oba Police Station attack, which occurred on Tuesday, resulted in the killing of another police officer.

How the latest Imo attack happened

In the latest attack in Imo, the gunmen were said to have stormed the Umulogho Community in a Sienna vehicle at about 8 p.m. on Tuesday night, NAN reported.

The attackers,  believed to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), subsequently returned to the community on Wednesday morning and killed the police operative. 

The armed persons, during the Wednesday attack, were said to have spent more than one hour profiling residents of the area until they identified and killed the operative.

“Upon identifying the man as a police operative, he was tortured with a machete and left to die,” a source from the community told NAN on the condition of anonymity.

The source further claimed that the gunmen operated unchallenged on Tuesday night before returning for the Wednesday attack when they razed a section of Obowo Police Divisional Headquarters in the area.

Another source said that it took several hours before military personnel responded to the distress call made by residents of the area.

“Imo Police Command and the state government need to step up the fight against insecurity in the state, especially in the rural areas.

“It is confusing how there are three different police formations domiciled in one police division, namely the Area Command, Isiweke Police Station and Obowo Police Division, yet the hoodlums were not challenged.

“It is even more worrisome that the police couldn’t respond because they claimed they did not have any operational vehicle,” the source said.

“This is disheartening. It portends danger for residents that there is no security in the area.”

A resident, who asked not to be named, called on the Imo State Government to establish and equip vigilante groups in every community to support the police in the fight against violent crimes in the state.

Police speak

The police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, confirmed the development to NAN on Wednesday.

Mr Okoye, an assistant superintendent of police, said the state police command had deployed a special unit to the area to track down the killers of the operative.

“As I am talking to you, I am with the commissioner of police, and together with other service chiefs, we intend to visit the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.”

“We want to equally inspire a certain level of confidence in the officers and residents, so they can go ahead with their duties and businesses without fear,” he said.

Worsening insecurity

Like other states in Nigeria’s South-east, security has deteriorated in Imo State with frequent attacks by armed persons.

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

The latest attack occurred hours after gunmen attacked the headquarters of Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State,  killing at least two persons. 

Four days ago, gunmen attacked the headquarters of Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra,  another state in the South-east. 

In June,  some armed persons  attacked the same Ogbaru Local Government Secretariat.

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

IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the south-east and some parts of the south-south Nigeria.