Imo State on Friday suffered another attack on police station attack leading to the deaths of two policemen and three gunmen.
It was learnt that a group of armed men attacked the police station in Oguta Local Government Area of of the state.
The incident was confirmed by the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Michael Abattam, in a statement on Saturday.
Several police stations have suffered attacks in Imo and other South-East by unknown gunmen in recent times.
According to Abattam, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), the attackers, who swooped on the station around 2:45 am, were “armed bandits suspected to be members of the proscribed IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra)/ESN (Easter Security Network) terror group”.
He said the attackers “came in their numbers to attack Izombe Police Station but could not gain access to the station due to the swift response of the ever-alert Imo Command’s tactical teams and personnel of Operation Restore Peace of the Command who intercepted and repelled the bandits”.
Police, however, were able to repel the assailants after a gun battle.
“They (the assailants) fled into the bush and in the process three of the bandits were neutralised … while others escaped into the bush with bullet wounds,” Abattam said.
“Unfortunately, the command lost two of its gallant officers in the attack. Their arms – one pump action gun with two rounds of live cartridges, and one locally made double barrel pistol with two expended cartridges, were recovered from them to the station.”