The Imo State Police Command says it has launched a “coordinated manhunt for criminal elements” who allegedly attacked commuters on the Okigwe-Owerri Road in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The command’s Spokesman, Deputy Superintendent of Police Henry Okoye, disclosed this in a statement issued to newsmen in Owerri on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria gathered that the armed men, operating in three separate groups, blocked the highway between Umunna in Onuimo Local Government Area and parts of Okigwe Local Government Area at about 5am.
Okoye said: “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.”
The police spokesman said the attackers were likely members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra and its armed wing, Eastern Security Network.
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The Police Public Relations Officer noted that the Command’s Commissioner, CP Aboki Danjuma, led a joint tactical team of the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services, and other security agencies to the scene in response to the distress call.
Okoye added: “The team provided immediate support to victims and initiated a comprehensive operation to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects responsible for the heinous attack.
“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.
“The commissioner has assured the public that the operation will continue until all the suspects are apprehended and brought to justice.
“While condemning the attack in the strongest terms and describing it as a cowardly act of terror, the commissioner called on Imo residents to remain calm, law-abiding, and security conscious.”
The statement further urged residents to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible and timely information to aid the ongoing operations.
He said the command and security agencies remained fully committed to restoring normalcy and safeguarding the lives and property of all residents and road users in different parts of the state.
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