- directs CP Imo and others to fish out and bring perpetrators to justice
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohamed Adamu, has ordered the immediate deployment of additional Police Mobile Force (PMF) units and other Police Tactical Squads to Imo State.
The move is to strengthen security in the State and prevent further attacks on security formations or any other critical national infrastructure.
The Inspector-General of Police gave the directive following the attack on security operatives and formations, including the Imo State Police Command Headquarters and the Nigerian Correctional Service Headquarters (NCS) Owerri, in the early hours of today Monday, 5th April 2021.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the attackers, who came in their numbers with sophisticated weapons such as General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), Sub-Machine Guns (SMGs), AK49 rifles, Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)/Eastern Security Network (ESN).
The attackers’ attempt to gain access to the Police armoury at the Headquarters was totally and appropriately resisted by Police operatives on duty who repelled the attackers and prevented them from breaking in and looting the armoury.
The Force Public Relations officer CP Frank Mba said the armoury is thus intact but said the Police suffered no human casualty apart from a Police Constable who sustained a minor bullet wound on his shoulder.
The statement said one of the operational vehicles of the attackers has been recovered by the Police and is currently being subjected to forensic scrutiny and investigations.
The Inspector-General of Police who condemned the attack on the security outfits has further directed the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command and a new Special Investigation Team (specifically set up to deal with cases of incessant attacks on security formation/operatives in the region), to carry out holistic investigations into the incident to fish out the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
The Imo police commissioner is to harness the security reinforcement squads and other operational assets at his disposal to take the battle to the doorsteps of the attackers and prevent any further attack anywhere within the State and its environs.
The IGP, who described the deliberate and criminal attack on security operatives as an attack on the soul of our nation, has enjoined leaders in Imo State, the South-East and other parts of the country to speak out against the unfolding violence and criminality.
The police call on citizens to avail the Police and other security agencies with valuable information that can help identify and arrest the criminals.
He vowed that “the perpetrators will be brought to book, noting that the Force is doing all within its powers to curb the activities of unscrupulous elements hell-bent on threatening the unity, safety, security and socio-economic wellbeing of Nigerians”, the statement said.
