From Christopher Tom, Uyo

The nefarious killing of innocent people including security personnel has shifted to South East and South-South with gunmen holding sway in Abia, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.

Reports yesterday showed that while sacral people wee killed, property worth millions of naira were destroyed in different incidentce in the here states.

In Abia, the police post at the Ubani Umuahia Main Market was set ablaze yesterday by gunmen, resulting in panic as some churches ended their service abruptly and dismissed members to go home.

In Akwa Ibom state,  no fewer than 12 policemen were killed at  ongoing attacks on security personnel and formations in the South-East and South-South regions.

The separate incidences, which had the imprints of previous attacks, saw gunmen attacking the personnel at their duty posts in the early hours of yesterday.

Gunmen, it was gathered, attacked the Divisional Police Headquarters, located in Odoro Ikpe village, Ini Local Government Area, killing five policemen on duty.

It was gathered that the Akwa Ibom attackers struck at about 2 45am yesterday. The incident happened exactly one week after hoodlums attacked Ikono Police Divisional Headquarters where they killed two policemen.

The latest attack brought the total number of policemen killed in May alone in the state to seven. 

 A policeman’s wife was also killed in the attack that saw the gunmen, setting patrol vehicles ablaze. According to sources in the area, the attackers stormed the police station in two buses and a Sienna bus.

A statement by the Chairman of the LGA, Mr. Israel Idais, said some police officers also sustained severe injuries during the attack.

Idais commended youths of the LGA for raising the alarm, saying it helped reduced the number of casualties recorded.

 “The gunmen who came in two buses and a Sienna car filled with armed men numbering more than 40, arrived in Ini Local Government Area with sophisticated weapons, broke into the police facility at precisely 2:45 am, killed five policemen on duty, burnt vehicles and inflicted injuries on others.

“Some police officers who attempted to repel the gunmen were overrun. I urge the good people of Ini LGA to stay calm as we are working with relevant security agencies and the government of Akwa Ibom State to ensure that the situation is contained.

 “Necessary modalities are being put in place to forestall a reoccurrence. There is no cause for fear as the culprits will be brought to book in no distant time”.

The Public Relations Officer, PRO, of Akwa Ibom State Police Command, Mr. Odiko MacDon, confirmed the attack. He said he was at the scene of the incident for an on-the spot assessment.

“Yes, there was an attack at the Divisional Police Headquarters, Odoro Ikpe, in Ini Local Government Area. Six persons including five officers and a wife of an officer were killed. I am at the station as we speak,” he said.

The situation was not different in Rivers State as seven policemen were reportedly killed.

River state Governor, Nyesom Wike, called an emergency meeting to discuss the killings. but said no amount of intimidation will cause the state to succumb to secessionist agenda.

Facts emerged on how gunmen killed about seven policemen. The attackers had, at about 10 pm, Friday, murdered the policemen at different points in two LGAs.

They were said to have attacked Rumuji Police Divisional Headquarters in Emohua and Elimgbu Police Station in Obio/Akpor LGA. The gunmen also attacked two security checkpoints, C4i Security Formation on East-West Road and another at Ogbakiri Junction in the same Emohua LGA.

A police source said an Assistant Superintendent of Police and an Inspector were killed at the C4i Checkpoint in Emohua. Two AK47 rifles were said to have been snatched from them while a patrol van was set ablaze. Beheaded At Rumuji Police Division[1]al Headquarters, gunmen beheaded their victims after killing them.

A Special Constabulary sustained injuries. At the station, the invaders snatched two Ak47 rifles and set ablaze a patrol van before they were repelled by soldiers, making them abandon their Hilux van. Four rifles were said to have been stolen from the station.

Meanwhile, Rivers State Police Command has launched a manhunt for the attackers. Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP. Nnamdi Omoni, in a statement, yesterday, issued after the Commissioner of Police in the state, Friday Eboka, and heads of tactical units, visited the different scenes of crime, said the attackers were met with stiff resistance.

Omoni said: “The Rivers State Police Command can confirm the unprovoked and mindless attack on policemen and vehicles.

“The incident which led to the death of seven policemen occurred last night at about 2030hrs, where un[1]known gunmen driven in two branded Hilux vans, attacked the special check[1]point at Choba Bridge, where in a surprised attack, killed two policemen on duty and set ablaze a private car belonging to one of the policemen.

“A similar attack was launched at Rumuji Police Station by the same hoodlums who killed two police[1]men on duty and burnt a patrol vehicle. Five assault rifles “However, a stiff resistance by the Police prevented the hoodlums from gaining access into the Police station. In the course of the exchange of fire, two of the attackers were fatally wounded.

They died on the spot. “The third attack at Elimgbu Police Station was equally resisted by the Po[1]lice. Though three officers were killed in that attack, the serious fire engagement made them abandon their bullet-riddled Hilux van. They escaped with various degrees of gunshot wounds in a snatched Sienna bus.  “The continued engagement by the Police also forced them to abandon the Sienna car they were using to escape at the Refinery Junction, while their remnants escaped with bullet wounds.

“In the meantime, the corpses of the fallen heroes have been evacuated and deposited in the mortuary, while the Commissioner of Police, CP. Eboka Friday, who led members of his management team and tactical Commanders to the respective scenes this morning for an on-the-spot assessment, has launched a serious manhunt for the perpetrators with a view to apprehending the culprits and bringing them to justice.” Rivers can’t succumb to secessionist Agenda — Wike Rivers State Security Council, last night, called for calm on the heels of the attacks on police personnel in the state.

Governor Wike, who pre[1]sided over an emergency meeting of the Security Council at the Government House, Port Harcourt, condemned the attacks. The governor reiterated that no amount of intimidation or cruel resort to bar[1]baric attacks will make Rivers succumb to secessionist agenda of those who are bent on plunging Nigeria  into “another unwarranted crisis”.

Wike urged residents of Rivers to be calm as the Security Council had taken measures to secure the state. Meanwhile, no fewer than 40 policemen have lost their lives in the last two weeks in ongoing attacks in the two zones, South-East and South-South.

Seven days ago, a research by an online platform revealed that no fewer than 18 policemen were killed in separate attacks across Nigeria in one week. Also, 16 were killed last week, bringing the number of those killed in the last 14 days to 34.