Three policemen died while two sustained injuries after an attack on Onueke Police Division, when gunmen on motorcycles and tricycle on Friday night stormed the station and opened fire at policemen on duty.
Policemen have abandoned their duty posts and known checkpoints in Ebonyi State following recent attacks unleashed on them in various divisions in the state.
Three policemen died while two sustained injuries after an attack on Onueke Police Division, when gunmen on motorcycles and tricycle on Friday night stormed the station and opened fire at policemen on duty.
The hoodlums also burnt a section of the station and no fewer than four cars parked there. Suspects were allegedly freed and two AK-47 rifles were stolen by the rampaging hoodlums.
According to Vanguard, the Kpirikpiri Police Station located within the metropolis has been closed and no policeman was seen on the premises during a recent visit.
Other police divisions in the capital city, Abakaliki, such as Central Police Station (CPS) and Ekumenyi Division were also deserted.
The police in the state had confirmed the latest attack by hoodlums.
The police spokesman, DSP Loveth Odah, said the command had launched an investigation into the assault. She added that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
She called on the general public to provide the police with useful information that could lead to the arrest of the attackers.
“Yes, three policemen were killed in the attack. We don’t know the identity of the attackers yet, and we are calling on the general public to provide information to the police in order to hunt down the perpetrators of this heinous crime,” she said.
The state police commissioner, CP Philip Maku, had on Saturday visited Onueke Police Station to see the level of havoc wreaked by the criminals and vowed to find the perpetrators.
It was learnt that the police commissioner had ordered a brief closure of the divisions after they were burnt during the October 2020 #EndSARS protests, noting that it was not because of the Onueke attack.
“The CP ordered the temporary closure of the divisions after they were burnt down by hoodlums during the #EndSARS protests. So, it has nothing to do with the Onueke attack,” she said.
However, contrary to what the state police public relations officer said, life had returned to the divisions since the Inspector General of Police visited the state last month, only for the stations to be closed down 24 hours after the Onueke attack.