Gunmen attack third police station in Imo in less than 72 hours

Unknown gunmen have attacked a third police station in Imo State, Nigeria’s South-east, in less than 72 hours.

The attack occurred in the early hours of Thursday at the Mbiere Divisional Police Headquarters in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state, The Punch newspaper has reported.

Two similar attacks, including the one at the police headquarters and the prisons headquarters in the state, have taken place before now.

The second attack was carried out a few hours after the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, accompanied by the then Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, visited the state to assess the damage done to the police headquarters.

During the latest attack, the gunmen reportedly freed some suspects from the police detention facility and also carted away phones belonging to suspects and police officers.

A police spokesperson in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu, confirmed the incident, but said the officers on duty repelled the attack, according to The Punch newspaper.

Mr Ikeokwu, a superintendent of police, said one officer was missing and that two sustained injuries during the attack.

The Punch reported that the gunmen also attacked a military base at Ukwuorji, burnt a soldier inside a car and razed four vehicles belonging to the military.

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The attack has brought to six the number of police facilities targeted in the state between February and April.

They are Obowo, Aboh Mbaise, Ihite/Uboma, Isiala Mbano, Ehime Mbano, and now Mbiere, as well as the police headquarters in the state.

There has been spate of attacks on police officers and police facilities lately around the country’s South-east and South-south regions.