Two police officers have been killed following an attack on the Uratta Police Station in Aba, Abia State, in the early hours of Saturday.
The state Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, disclosed that three other people, including two police officers and a civilian, sustained injuries during the incident.
The injured victims were taken to the Abia State University Teaching Hospital in Aba for treatment.
Afolabi spoke during an inspection of the damaged facility alongside Governor Alex Otti.
When asked about the number of officers killed, the police commissioner confirmed, “Two people.”
He said the attackers set parts of the station on fire, while a Hilux van and other vehicles were either burnt or damaged.
According to him, he arrived at the scene around 4 a.m. and the police had begun efforts to track down those responsible.
“I was there by 4 am and the most important thing is to get the culprit, and that is what we are doing,” he said.
The commissioner stated that no arrests had been made as of the time of his remarks but assured residents that the perpetrators would be apprehended.
“For now, we have not made any arrests, but we are working on that,” Afolabi said.
He added, “The assurance I can give is that wherever they are, whenever they enter the hole, we will bring them out.”
A source familiar with the attack, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly, alleged that the assailants targeted the police armoury but found it empty.
The source also claimed that the attackers took away some police uniforms and that one of them was shot dead but subsequently carried away by his colleagues.
The attack reportedly occurred at about 2 a.m. on Saturday, with one of the slain officers said to have been burnt beyond recognition.
Governor Otti later visited the injured victims at the teaching hospital.
The Uratta Police Station had previously come under attack on February 23, 2021, when gunmen killed a police sergeant identified as Okezie and set ablaze a patrol vehicle donated by the Abia State Government.
