Ugwuanyi, CP visit scene of burnt police station

ENUGU State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has visited the scene of burnt police station, expressing his sadness over the heinous act and requested to meet with families of slain policemen and ordered an immediate reconstruction of damaged police buildings, replacement of Innoson patrol van made away by the yet-to-be-identified hoodlums as well as the construction of barricades before the police station.

  Meanwhile Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Mohammed Ndatsu Aliyu has led members of his management team and Operational/Tactical Commanders to Iwollo Police Division for an on-the-spot assessment, as a result of an attack on the division by an unknown gunmen

 The attack which occurred on Monday morning at about 4:00 a.m claimed the lives of four police officers and also left the residents in fear.

 National Light learnt the hoodlums in arrival, scaled the walls to access the place and opened fire on station when they discovered that the police station was under lock and key.

  After killing the policemen on duty, they allegedly freed detainees before setting the two buildings inside the police station ablaze, even the buildings, motorcycles and commuter bus parked in the station were also burnt.

  It was also learnt that the hoodlums forced the gate of the station open and removed a Hilux patrol van belonging to the station and was said to have driven the van alongside, after their dreadful act.

  An officer who was lucky to escape revealed that some of the officers on duty were asleep when the hoodlums attacked.

 “We watched almost all through the night and around 4.00 am, some of us decided to go to sleep. I believe they worked with information,” he said.

   The State’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, who represented the Commissioner of Police stated that the hoodlums “came to the station in their numbers and opened fire on operatives on duty”.

  He stated that the officers on duty put up stiff resistance, adding however that “in the ensuing gun duel, several of the assailants escaped with bullet injuries, unfortunately four of the operatives, who sustained severe gunshot injuries, were later confirmed dead in the hospital, while parts of the station was set ablaze by assailants”

   The CP commiserated with the family members and close friends of the policemen who regrettably died in line of duty and ordered an intensification of already launched discreet investigation to fish out the assailants and their cohorts.

   He appealed to law-abiding citizens of the state to provide any useful information that will assist the command in the ongoing investigation and appealed to medical facilities in the state to promptly report to the police any person found with gunshot injuries.