Nonsochukwu Uwa, Owerri
The Imo State Police Command on Wednesday ordered investigation into the alleged killing of seven persons and injuring of others by hoodlums in Umuafom, Orogwe community last Monday.
The command stated this in a statement on Wednesday in Owerri.
The statement made available to Ikengaonline was signed by the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Michael Abattam.
However, the command described the hoodlums as kidnappers and linked the killing to the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and the Eastern Security Network, ESN.
The Police agreed it was seven people who lost their lives in that incident, adding that six sustained different degrees of injuries and were admitted at the Federal Medical Center, FMC, Owerri.
The statement read in part: “On 01/8/2022 at about 2200hrs, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ogbaku Divisional Police Headquarters Owerri, lmo State, got a distress call that armed bandits suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and it’s affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), came in a black Lexus Jeep and three motorcycles carrying two persons each, shooting sporadically at the occupants in a building at Orogwe, Owerri West LGA, Imo State, belonging to one Sir Chima Ogbuehi who resides in Lagos, and some tenants are suspected to have been fatally injured.
“The Divisional Police Officer, swiftly mobilized his men with the support of a detachment of the Command’s tactical teams to the scene and on arrival the hoodlums had escaped almost immediately, snatching a blue coloured Toyota Sienna SUV vehicle and the Command’s tactical team speedily went on their trail while the DPO and his men rushed the injured ones to Federal Medical Center Owerri and evacuated the corpses to the Mortuary. Regrettably, a total of seven (7) persons lost their lives in the attack while six (6) others sustained injuries and were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri, Imo State.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Ahmed Barde, has ordered for a discreet investigation into the incident, promising that the Command will go all out in ensuring that the perpetrators of this dastardly act are arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.”
