Nonsochukwu Uwa, Owerri
The Imo State Police Command has confirmed that hoodlums suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network, ESN, an armed group of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, attacked with explosives the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Orlu office in the state, on Friday evening.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Michael Abattam, disclosed this to newsmen in Owerri.
However, he said the hoodlums’ explosives only affected the security post and as they tried to gain entry into the main building they were repelled by the officers on duty who engaged them in a gun battle and overpowered the hoodlums who later ran away. But the police said no life was lost.
Narrating how the incident happened, the police said: “On 02/12/ 2022 at about 0430 hours, gunmen suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate Eastern Security Network (ESN) came in their numbers to the Independent National Electoral Commission office Orlu in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, threw Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) into the office from outside the fence and shooting sporadically fighting their way into the office but were repelled by the ever gallant Imo Police Command’s Tactical Teams.
“The police operatives who positioned themselves strategically and professionally engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel and in the process they were suppressed, having suffered a huge defeat, with a number of them sustaining various degrees of bullet wounds, they retreated, into their vehicles and zoomed off but were given a hot chase by the operatives.”
“In the cause of the foiled attack, no life was lost and no arms/ammunition was carted away. The INEC main building was not affected by the explosives only minor damage was done to the security post caused by the fire from the explosives which were put off immediately by the police operatives.
Meanwhile, Investigation is ongoing and efforts are on top gear to arrest the fleeing suspects since they cannot go far because of the volume of bloodstains that were seen on the ground after their escape,” Police said.
