Some gunmen in the early hours of Saturday set ablaze the Umuguma Divisional Police Headquarters situated in the Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.
The gunmen also killed two police constables who were on duty.
SaharaReporters learnt that the attackers stormed the division with guns and explosive ordinance disposals and they immediately opened fire at the divisional headquarters after blocking the roads leading in and out of the station and including the one close to the LGA council headquarters.
Residents of the area said the sounds of the weapons the attackers came with frightened them as they ran into bushes out of fear of being hurt by stray bullets and weapons.
A resident of the area who doesn’t want to be mentioned said, “These guys are mean. On arrival, they blocked the roads, threw their dynamite into the police station and equally opened fire. They now waited to attack officers who ran out for safety.
“Unfortunately, two police constabularies by name Ifeanyi and Iyke were killed. Ifeanyi was from Umunkwo in Umuguma community here. He was a final year student at Imo State University in Owerri. I knew him. It is just one year now he was recruited. He was trying to scale the fence when they used machete and cut him. He was sliced. The young man died on the spot. This is very unfortunate.
“The second victim, Iyke was from Avu community. They shot him in one of his legs as he fled. He has been found dead now at a water stand where he possibly went to drink water. This is very unfortunate.”
The attack came few hours after the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 9 Umuahia, Isaac Akinmoyede, left the state after a visit.
