The State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Micheal Abattam, confirmed this to newsmen in Owerri, on Monday.
He said the hoodlums attacked the station with a petrol bomb and Improvised Explosives devices., IED.
However, the police said the officers responded and gave the hoodlums a hot chase and as they ran into 2 hotels around the area and in the process, 17 suspects were arrested from those hotels as well as motorcycles and vehicles without identification numbers were recovered from the hotels.
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Narrating how the incident happened, the police said: “On 20th February 2022 at about 2330 hours, armed men suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)/ Eastern Security Network (ESN) in their numbers came in two (2) Toyota Sienna Buses, a Toyota Camry Car and an unspecified number of motorcycles, attacked the station from the rear axis because, the station has no perimeter wall, shooting sporadically, threw petrol bombs and Improvised Explosive Devices (I.E.D) that ignited the station.
“The police operatives of the division immediately responded by engaging the hoodlums in a gun duel. Due to the superior fire-power 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 Golden Suite Hotel and Isu Villa Hotel respectively, the two hotels were immediately cordoned and raided and in the process, a total of Twelve (12) motorcycles without identification numbers and two vehicles one (1) Lexus RX350 SUV and one (1) Lexus RX330 SUV believed to have been used by the hoodlums were seen and recovered. Also, seventeen (17) male and female suspects were arrested and undergoing interrogation.”
“However, the fire and Improvised Explosives Devices (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 injury on his head,” Police said.
Vanguard