File photo: Illustration image of gunmen
Two policemen were killed and three other persons injured when gunmen attacked the Uratta Police Station in Aba, Abia State, in the early hours of Saturday, setting parts of the facility and vehicles ablaze.
The attack, which reportedly occurred around 2 am, left the station severely damaged, while a Hilux van and other vehicles were burnt.
A source familiar with the incident said the attackers appeared to have targeted the police armoury but found it empty. The assailants allegedly took away some police uniforms during the attack.
The source further claimed that one of the gunmen was shot dead but was taken away by his colleagues.
The state Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, confirmed the killing of two officers and the injury to three people while inspecting the scene alongside Governor Alex Otti on Saturday.
Afolabi said the injured victims, including a civilian, were receiving treatment at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba.
“The hoodlums came. Some of the shelters above were set ablaze,” the police commissioner said.
He disclosed that he arrived at the scene around 4 am, adding that the immediate priority was to identify and arrest those responsible for the attack.
“For now, we have not made any arrests, but we are working on that,” he said.
The commissioner assured residents that the police would pursue the attackers and bring them to justice.
The governor later visited the injured victims at the hospital.
The latest incident has renewed concerns over attacks on police facilities in the area. On February 23, 2021, gunmen attacked the same Uratta Police Station, killing a police sergeant identified as Okezie and setting ablaze a patrol vehicle donated by the state government.
As of Saturday, the police had not announced any arrests in connection with the latest attack.