Gunmen kill eight soldiers, policemen in Imo
By Emma Ogbuehi, Owerri
It was yet another black Tuesday in Imo State as no fewer than eight security agents comprising soldiers, policemen and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were killed by gunmen this morning.
The hoodlums also set ablaze two vehicles.
An eyewitness told newsmen that the incident happened at about 11:30am in Oriagu, around the Aba branch area of Ehime Mbano council area of Imo state.
TheNiche reports that the incident has thrown the area into panic.
The joint security taskforce team who were in two security trucks were ambushed and set ablaze by their attackers.
None of them survived as they were burnt inside their operational vehicles.
All the roads leading to the scene of the assault had been condoned off as tension continued to rise within and outside the affected community.
According to the eyewitness, “The incident just happened about two hours ago. At first, I saw the two Hilux vehicles as they drove from Oriagu heading to the Aba branch in Ehime Mbano.
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“As I am talking to you now the Hilux vehicles are still on fire. The soldiers were burnt by the gunmen.
“Tension is everywhere. We have closed our shops. We are going home. We are seeing a lot of security operatives.
“They blocked the road. People are running to our homes. Our people are afraid anything can happen now.
“The first vehicle, I saw over five soldiers. In the second, I saw more than four security operatives. They said all of them were killed.”
A security operative who spoke anonymous said reinforcement teams had been sent to the scene of the crime with the intent to arrest the suspects and rescue the corpses of the slain security operatives.
A video clip of the attack which has gone viral revealed five charred bodies of soldiers with their uniforms and guns. It also showed that two patrol vehicles were set ablaze.
Another resident disclosed that the local government area has been identified as an operational zone for the hoodlums who operate from a valley that is difficult for the security operatives to infiltrate.
He said: “Anytime they attack, they escape into the valley which has a thick vast forest with caves surrounding it that makes it difficult for the security people to arrest them, the government knows that place is dangerous.”
When contacted, the spokesperson for the police in the state, Henry Okoye, confirmed the development but asked for time to get the full details of the horrible incident.
- This is a breaking story. Details shortly…
