Some suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have killed two police officers in Anambra State.
The Anambra State Police Command spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, confirmed this in a statement on Monday.
Mohammed added that the attackers injured some officers while a police patrol van was set ablaze during the incident which occurred in Oraifite town in the state.
Mohammed explained that the security operatives had responded to a complaint against Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said to be a self-acclaimed IPOB lawyer to IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, on alleged case of abduction, assault occasioning harm, and malicious damage to property.
The police patrol teams led by the Area Commander in Oraifite, Oliver Abbey, then mobilised and rushed to the scene in order to arrest Ejiofor who was said to have declined police invitation.
“As soon as police arrived at the house, armed men suspected to be IPOB members descended on the police, set ablaze one patrol vehicle and attacked them with rifles and machetes.
“As a result of the attack, two police officers whose identities are being withheld were killed by the suspected IPOB members while others were inflicted with machete cuts,” the Police Public Relations Officer said.
Mohammed added, “The injured personnel were rushed to the hospital for medical attention and are presently receiving treatment.”
According to Mohammed, the command deployed reinforcements from the State Headquarters comprising personnel of the Police Mobile Force (PMF), Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), and Special Anti-Cult Unit to the area.
He disclosed that this was in conjunction with Nigerian Army troops and other security agencies who cordoned off the area in order to fish out the culprits.
The command’s spokesman noted that the team had begun a joint patrol in the town to prevent a further breakdown of law and order.
He confirmed that some arrests have been made and the Commissioner of Police in the state, John Abang, has vowed to bring perpetrators of the dastardly act to justice.
Meanwhile, the IPOB leader confirmed the incident in a statement credited to him but gave a different account of what happened.
He claimed that the police and army invaded his lawyer’s house while three IPOB members were killed.
“Confirmed reports indicate that a combined team of Nigeria police and military assassination squad invaded the home of my lawyer in Oraifite, Anambra State this morning Monday in a bid to kill him and his family.
“Sadly three innocent Biafrans were killed by this invading force at his residence. This comes on the heel of yet another killing of two IPOB family members who were peacefully gathering in Arondizuogu on Sunday, December 1,” the statement purportedly authored by Kanu alleged.
