Two police operatives were killed on Saturday in Abia State when gunmen attacked a divisional police headquarters in Aba, the commercial hub of the South-eastern state.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the attackers invaded the police facility at about 2 a.m. on Saturday.
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Residents told this newspaper that the hoodlums opened fire upon arrival at the station before throwing an improvised explosive devices into the facility which damaged some structures at the station.
They said the attackers also set a police van ablaze and destroyed a Toyota vehicle, a power generator and other valuables in the building.
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Police speak
The police spokesperson in Abia State, Maureen Chinaka, confirmed the attack and the killings in a statement on Saturday.
Ms Chinaka, a deputy superintendent of police, said the attack happened at exactly 2:26 a.m. at Urratta-Eziukwu Area, a community in Aba South Local Government Area of the state.
“At about 02:26hrs, the hoodlums attacked the division with explosives, resulting in a fire that damaged part of the building and the divisional patrol van.
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“Sadly, two senior police officers lost their lives, while three inspectors sustained injuries and are currently receiving medical attention,” she said.
The spokesperson clarified that, contrary to claims, no firearms or ammunition were carted away by the gunmen during the attack.
Ms Chinaka said, in response to the attack, the Commissioner of Police in Abia State, Wilfred Afolabi, has personally led an operational team comprising tactical units of the command to the area.
“The team combed the surrounding environment and restored calm, while intensified security operations and monitoring are ongoing to apprehend the perpetrators,” she said.
The spokesperson said Mr Afolabi has condemned the attack and vowed to track down the attackers.
The commissioner emphasised that the police in the state would deploy all necessary operational and intelligence resources to identify and track down the killers.
The police chief commiserated with the families of the slain operatives.
He urged residents to remain calm, vigilant and to support the police with information that could assist the ongoing investigation.
“Information can be reported at the nearest police station, through the suggestion boxes and contact details of the DPO’s provided at police divisions,” he said, dropping some mobile numbers for residents with information.
First time in long time
The latest attack marks the first such incident is happening in the state in a long time.
Like in other parts of the South-east, attacks by armed persons especially on police facilities had significantly waned in recent years in the region.
The region, before now, witnessed increased attacks often attributed to the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
But IPOB, a group seeking secession of the South-east and South-south from Nigeria, had repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks.
Recall that a recent PREMIUM TIMES’ special report revealed that attacks and killings have reduced by 50 per cent in the South-east since the arrest and imprisonment of a controversial Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, in Finland in 2025.
Meanwhile, no group has claimed responsibility for the latest deadly attack in Abia State.
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