20 feared dead as gunmen attack, set ablaze vehicles in Imo
By Agency Report
Over 20 passengers are feared dead as gunmen reportedly attacked and set ablaze vehicles including trucks with their occupants Thursday along the Okigwe-Owerri Highway in Imo State.
In a statement in the evening of same day, the police spokesperson in the state, Henry Okoye, said the hoodlums who were operating in three separate groups blocked the highway and attacked the travellers numbering about 50.
“They shot sporadically, causing panic and chaos, and set vehicles – including trucks and motorcycles – ablaze.
“Tragically, reports of human casualties have also been confirmed as a result of the ambush,” said Mr Okoye, a deputy superintendent of police.
The police spokesperson said the hoodlums were suspected to be members of the outlawed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).
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He said the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Aboki Danjuma, has led a joint tactical team of security operatives to the scene of the attack following receipt of information about the incident.
The joint security team, according to him, comprised personnel of the Nigerian Army, the police and the State Security Service.
“The team provided immediate support to victims and initiated a comprehensive operation to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects responsible for this heinous attack,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Okoye said the security team has launched a manhunt for the hoodlums.
“A full-scale search and cordon operation is currently underway, with security operatives combing nearby forests and surrounding areas where the suspects are believed to be hiding,” he said.
He said Mr Danjuma has assured residents of Imo State that the operation will continue until all perpetrators are tracked down.
The commissioner condemned the attack and described it as a “cowardly act of terror.”
The police chief urged the residents to remain calm, law-abiding, and security conscious and cooperate with security agencies by providing “credible and timely information” to aid ongoing operations.
