On Monday, gunmen attacked the Nkporo Divisional Police Headquarters in Abia State’s Ohafia Local Government Area and carted away weapons from the police station.
The gunmen stormed the police division in three Toyota Sienna vehicles, assaulted on-duty officers, broke into the divisional armory, and stole one AK-47 rifle with 30 rounds of live ammunition.
The suspects were also said to have escaped with two riot gunners and an unknown amount of ammunition.
It was learned that the police officers who were injured in varying degrees during the invasion were rushed to a nearby hospital and were receiving medical attention.
Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Geoffrey Ogbonna, in a press statement on Tuesday, said the gunmen shot indiscriminately when they attacked the police station.
He explained that the suspects, after dislodging the policemen on duty, gained access to the station and stole the weapons, adding that the command launched a manhunt to track down the suspects behind the attack on the police station.
Ogbonna said, “The criminals broke into the station’s armory and carted away one AK 47 rifle loaded with 30 rounds of live ammunition, two riot gunners, and yet-to-be ascertained quantity of ammunition.
“They also made away with sets of service uniforms kept in the armory and offices belonging to the armorer and other policemen in the station. Three police constables among those on duty sustained varying degrees of injury.”
According to Ogbonna, the collaborative effort of the police and the military resulted in the recovery of one abandoned Toyota Sienna vehicle with some service uniforms, shoes, and personal effects.
He said two of the injured policemen were still receiving treatment in the hospital while one of the injured policemen had been treated and discharged.
The police spokesman said an investigation had commenced with a view to recovering the stolen arms and ammunition as well as arresting the culprits, adding that the state Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Bala, had visited the police station for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.
He added, “The state Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Bala, during a visit to the scene, accompanied by the DC Operations, DCP E.S Bretet, and later joined by the Chairman, Ohafia Local Government Area, Chief James Ndukwe, remarked that the porosity of the station made it possible for the hoodlums to invade the premises.
“Bala called on the state, local government, and other critical stakeholders to embrace the principles of community safety partnership to erect fences that will link up with the existing one around the station.
“Furthermore, the CP requests from the general public, useful information that would help in tracking down the hoodlums and recovery of the firearms.”
Meanwhile, the police command on Tuesday paraded some suspects accused of illegal possession of firearms.
Bala said the suspects were arrested during the presidential and National Assembly elections last Saturday around 11.20 am in Unit 006, Itu Nwaka, in Itungwa, in the Obingwa Local Government Area of the state.
- He said the suspects were arrested with four firearms by police operatives deployed for election duty in the area, adding that they would be charged at the conclusion of the investigation.
