Gunmen throw dynamite at police patrol vehicle in Imo, kill two

Two police officers have been killed and four others injured when their patrol vehicle was attacked by gunmen in Okigwe, Imo State on Saturday.

The incident which involved personnel of The Police Mobile Force, MOPOL 18, Owerri, occurred at Gariki Road, Okigwe, when the gunmen suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network, ambushed the officers by throwing an explosive device at their patrol vehicle in the early hour of the day.

According to the Imo State Police Command’s spokesperson, Okoye Henry, the attackers also engaged the police officers in a gun duel after the dynamite was thrown at them.

“In the process, two officers paid the ultimate price while four others survived the attack”, Okoye said in a statement.

Part of the statement reads:
“On receipt of the ugly incident, the Commissioner of Police Imo State Command, *CP Aboki Danjuma* alongside Commander Mopol 18 and 64, immediately led operatives of the Command’s Special Tactical Unit to the crime scene for on-the-spot assessment and tasked the operatives to go all out in synergy with other security agencies and hunt down the hoodlums responsible for the attack.

“More so, CP Aboki Danjuma has mandated the Assistant Commissioner of Police in Charge Okigwe, the DPO, and other Tactical units deployed in Okigwe to embark on visibility patrol, intelligence-led raids of criminal hideouts, and place watertight security to forestall any future occurrence.

“The CP calls on the general public particularly the residents of Okigwe who may have any useful information that will assist the Police in the investigation to kindly report at the nearest Police Station or via 08034773600, 08103341610. He urges the residents to go about their lawful business without any form of fear or intimidation and not panic at the sight of the massive deployment of security operatives in Okigwe. He urged them to support the Police and other security agencies in the onslaught against violent crimes in the State.”