The increasing rate of insecurity in the state has continued unabated as hoodlums reportedly attacked the Njaba Divisional Police Headquarters on Sunday, September, 15, 2024.
A release issued by the spokesperson of the Imo State Police Command, ASP, Okoye Henry, said, the hoodlums who drove into the divisional police headquarters in three Sport Utility vehicles (SUVs) , including a Toyota Lexus 470, Mercedes Benz GLK, and a Toyota Venza shot sporadically in different directions before they were repelled by the superior response of the gallant police operatives who promptly took defensive positions.
The release noted that an intense operation led by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, is currently ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
The release reads in part, “On September 15, 2024, police operatives successfully repelled an attack on the Njaba Divisional Headquarters by hoodlums suspected to be affiliated with the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed militia, the Eastern Security Network (ESN). The attackers, arriving in three SUVs, launched a violent assault on the headquarters with sporadic gunfire.
In response, the ever gallant operatives swiftly took up defensive positions and engaged the assailants, resulting in the neutralization of three attackers. The remaining assailants, who sustained various gunshot injuries, fled into nearby bushes. During the operation, our forces recovered one General Purpose Machine Gun, one AK-47 rifle, and three vehicles: a Toyota Lexus 470, a Mercedes GLK, and a Toyota Venza.
An intense operation, led by the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Aboki Danjuma, is currently underway to apprehend the fleeing suspects. The ongoing efforts aim to capture those responsible and ensure justice is served.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Aboki Danjuma has commended the bravery of the operatives and as well assured the general public that the Command remains committed to enhancing the State’s internal security and will continue to take decisive actions against any threats to public peace.
Most Imolites who commented on the development said the most recent incidents attests to the fact that the frightening level of insecurity in the state has defied all solutions despite several assurances by the state government and security agencies. This, they said, has affected the psyche of the people who are no longer safe in their respective communities”.
“According to them, if the hoodlums could boldly attack a divisional police headquarters and escape arrest, what is the fate of rural dwellers who are neither armed nor have the necessary professional training and expertise to either protect themselves nor repel such attacks”.
They blamed the increase in crime and criminality on the government for its inability to provide employment for the teeming jobless youths.
