Five feared killed as gunmen attack police facility in Ebonyi, raze vehicles

Five persons were feared killed on Wednesday when some gunmen attacked Ishieke Police Divisional Headquarters in Ebonyi State, Nigeria’s South-east.

Ishieke is a community in Ivo Local Government Area of the state.

Residents told PREMIUM TIMES that the gunmen invaded the police facility at about 9:30 p.m. and started firing sporadic shots.

One of the residents, who asked not to be named, said five of the gunmen were shot dead when security agencies stormed the area and engaged the hoodlums in a shootout.

“They were shooting at the gate when some army people and policemen came and started firing at them. Five of the gunmen fell down,” he said.

Another resident, Meshack Nwachukwu, said although the security operatives engaged the hoodlums in a shootout, he could not confirm if there were casualties.

“That’s the report we are getting. But you know this thing happened late at night. So, I have not confirmed any casualty,” Mr Nwachukwu said.

He, however, said he could confirm that the hoodlums razed some police operational vehicles parked in front of the facility.

An official of Ivo Local Government Area, who asked not to be named, said the gunmen were seven in number. Still, five of them were killed when security operatives trailed them to the Alibaruhu Area of the state.

He said the body of one of the two fleeing gunmen was later recovered in a bush during a search by the operatives.

“We are hoping the remaining person will be found,” he said.

Video clips

Some video clips, apparently recorded during and shortly after the attack, have been circulating on social media.

In one of the clips, about three vehicles, believed to be those of the police operatives, were in flames.

In another clip, the gunmen were heard speaking in hushed tones while they fired shots.

The police spokesperson in Ebonyi State, Joshua Ukandu, did not respond to calls and a text message seeking his comments.

Worsening insecurity

Like other states in Nigeria’s South-east, security has deteriorated in Ebonyi State with frequent attacks by armed persons.

The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.

The latest attack occurred exactly one month after gunmen killed three in Akpoha, a community in Afikpo Local Government Area of the state.

Many residents were also injured during the attack, which occurred in late May.

In April, gunmen killed a police officer in Abakaliki during an attack on a police checkpoint.

Gunmen, in early March, shot dead four police operatives in another attack in Abakaliki, the state capital.

The Nigerian government has accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. However, the group has repeatedly denied involvement in the attacks.

IPOB is a group leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra, which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria.