Armed gunmen kill five policemen in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State

ARMED gunmen suspected to be Biafran separatists have killed five police officers in the Ulakwo community of Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State in a fearful sign that the violence sweeping across the area is getting worse.

Over recent months, the violence currently gripping Nigeria has recently spread to the southeast geo-political zone, especially in Imo State. One main feature of the violence in Imo State has been the attacking of police stations and the killing of security personnel, with the carting away of their weapons afterwards.

Today's incident happened at about 8am as the police officers drove from a neighbouring community in Abor Mbaise Local Government Area of the state and stopped at a junction in Ngor Okpala to eat in a local restaurant. Then, the gunmen drove to the area and opened fire on the officers, killing three of them on the spot.

Two of the officers, who escaped with gunshot injuries and ran to a nearby shop for safety, were traced and later killed by the gunmen. Apart from the slain officers, a couple who own the shop identified as Mr and Mrs Chinaka Nwagu, were also killed by the attackers.

In video clip of the incident, three bodies of the officers were seen lying along the road in a pool of their blood. Also, the bodies of the couple and two other officers were also seen lying in the shop, where they were killed by the hoodlums.

Henry Okoye, a spokesman for the Imo State Police Command, said the police have launched an operation to track down the attackers. He added that the gunmen usually attack and quickly return to their criminal enclaves to prevent security agencies from getting hold of them.

Mr Okoye said: “As I am speaking with you now, intensive patrol is ongoing in Ngor Okpala with the sole aim of arresting the perpetrators of the dastardly act and bringing them to face the law. However, now we are taking the battle to them and we are raiding their enclaves.”

Nigeria's government has accused the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region but the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks. Ipob is leading the agitation for the creation of an independent state of Biafra.