Following the gruesome murder of four police operatives and a civilian by gunmen, the Commissioner of Police Imo State Command, Aboki Danjuma, has deployed the command’s tactical units with available operational assets and intelligence to go all out in synergy with other security agencies and hunt down the hoodlums responsible for the attack.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Henry Okoye, said this in a statement on Tuesday, July 30.
The operatives were ambushed on Monday, July 29, by the gunmen suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its paramilitary body, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), while on routine patrol at Irete along the Owerri-Onitsha expressway.
They reportedly fought gallantly but four of them paid the supreme price while a civilian was also fatally hit.
On receipt of the unfortunate incident, the Commissioner of Police immediately mobilized to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment of the ugly incident wherein the lifeless bodies of the deceased were evacuated and deposited at the mortuary for preservation while the injured victim was rushed to a nearby hospital where he is currently responding to treatment.
The Commissioner of Police, who strongly condemned the attack, expressed sadness over the unfortunate incident and vowed that the Command would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the perpetrators are all arrested and brought to justice.
He stressed that the miscreants responsible for the senseless attack have murdered peace.
Saying that the tragic incident serves as a painful reminder of the daily risks and sacrifices police officers face in their unwavering commitment to public safety, CP Danjuma commiserated with the families of the deceased victims and prayed for the repose of their souls.
The Commissioner of Police called on the general public, particularly residents of Ogbakwu, who might have any information that would assist the Police in apprehending the hoodlums responsible for the attack to report the same at the nearest Police Station or via the Command’s emergency lines 08034773600 or 08098880197.