Four police officers were killed on Monday when alleged members of the illegal Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) attacked the headquarters of the Awada Police Division in Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria.
The incident occurred around 2:20 a.m.
State police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga, who disclosed this in a statement on Monday, said three of the suspected IPOB members were killed by police during the attack.
This is the seventh in a series of attacks on police facilities in the state in a month.
Ikenga, deputy superintendent of police, said IPOB members, along with its militant wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN), attacked police facilities with improvised explosive devices and automatic firearms.
“In response to the attack, police officers attached to the Anambra State Police Command confronted the assailants along with troops from the 302nd Nigerian Army Artillery Regiment in a gun duel and three IPOB/ESN members outside the law were fatally wounded,” he said.
The police spokesman said that during a clean-up operation by police and military personnel, two male suspects, believed to have been involved in the attack, were arrested by police officers.
“Unfortunately, four police officers paid the ultimate price as a section of the station, a police car and three display vehicles parked on the premises were set on fire by Molotov cocktails thrown into the station by the assailants,” he said.
Three Kalashnikov rifles, an automatic pistol, a brown Lexus 330 SUV, a motorcycle suspected of being stolen property and amulets were among the items recovered from the criminals during the operation, according to police.
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Anambra State Police Commissioner Echeng Echeng has ordered the immediate deployment of all the command’s investigative and operational assets to track down the fleeing suspects, Ikenga said.
Calling on residents of the area and the state to remain calm, Mr. Echeng assured that the state police will not let up in ensuring that the criminals carrying out the attacks are brought to justice.
increase in attacks
Like other states in south-eastern Nigeria, security has deteriorated in Anambra State with frequent attacks by armed individuals.
The attack comes just 24 hours after suspected IPOB members attacked the 3-3 Police Division Headquarters in Nkwelle-Ezunaka, Oyi local government area of the state.
A police officer and six IPOB members were killed in the attack.
Two days ago, gunmen shelled the Ogidi Police Division Headquarters in the Idemili North Local Government Area of the state. Three policemen were killed in the attack.
Ogidi’s attack came five days after gunmen attacked the same police facility in the council area. One of the gunmen was killed in that attack, according to police.
Armed men, on Thursday, attacked some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ukpor, a community in the Nnewi South local government area of the state. But police said they foiled the attack.
About five days ago, armed men kidnapped 15 members of the National Youth Service Corps in the state. However, they were rescued hours later by the state police.
Again, on 3 February, gunmen attacked the Abagana Division Police Headquarters in the Njikoka Local Government Area of the state. Two watchmen were killed by the gunmen during the attack.
Hours after the attack in Abagana, gunmen killed a police officer and a watchman in Obosi, a community in the Idemili North local government area of the state. The gunmen also shelled an anti-sect police unit in the community during the attack.
Earlier this month, gunmen shelled a local INEC office in Ojoto, Idemili Sur local government area and also attacked a police headquarters in Nnobi, another community in the same state council area, killing a child. 16-year-old and wounding a 15-year-old girl during the attack.
The Nigerian government has accused IPOB of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.
IPOB is leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra that it wants to separate from the south-east and some parts of the south-south of Nigeria.
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