Unidentified gunmen launched a brutal assault on the Obowo Police Division in the Obowo Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo State in the early hours of Wednesday, destroying the station’s facilities and causing widespread panic.
According to an eyewitness who spoke to Vanguard in Owerri, the same assailants had allegedly killed a police officer at NEPA bus stop in Obowo LGA on Tuesday night, just hours before the attack on the police division.
The eyewitness, who requested anonymity for security reasons, recounted the harrowing events, stating, “This young police officer was killed at NEPA bus stop where he was residing. The gunmen came around 8 pm on Tuesday and spent more than forty-five minutes in the house. They took their time to identify who was a student and who was a police officer before killing him after confirming his identity as a police officer. He was slaughtered.”
The witness expressed dismay over the delayed response from local security forces, noting, “We have a military presence in the same Obowo and three Police formations in the area. None of them came to the rescue of this officer. It was only after an hour and thirty minutes that the military arrived, not the police. This is sad.”
The gunmen reportedly returned early Wednesday morning to attack the Obowo Police Division, setting it ablaze.
In a related incident, another eyewitness reported an attack on the Isiala Mbano LGA Secretariat, where hoodlums set fire to buildings and vehicles, leaving several people injured. During a gun battle between security operatives and the attackers, two members of a local vigilante group were reportedly killed.
The witness from Isiala Mbano, also speaking anonymously, said, “The secretariat of the Isiala Mbano council area was attacked and set ablaze, including vehicles and some buildings. Many were injured, and we heard two members of the vigilante group were killed.”
Reacting to the attacks, the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Henry Okoye, confirmed the incidents and assured the public that the Command had deployed tactical teams to apprehend those responsible for these heinous crimes.
The recent wave of violence has heightened concerns about security in Imo State, as communities grapple with the fear of further attacks.