By Ozioruva Aliu
THERE is fear among residents of Igueben in Igueben local government area of Edo State as unknown gunmen on Monday evening invaded the police station entered its armoury, carting away arms and ammunition and in the process reportedly killed three persons including two policemen and others seriously injured.
Although police had denied the killing of any person, Vanguard gathered that the yet to be identified persons attacked the facility with substances believed to be explosives, broke into the armoury and carted away arms.
The development has created fear and protest among the residents as the leadership of the council had ordered that all council workers close work while the investigation is on and other residents protesting and condemning the act and calling for an investigation.
A resident in the area told Vanguard Monday that “The attackers came around 7:30 pm and threw explosives into the station which made it easy for them to gain entry and they killed three people including two policemen and a civilian.
“A police Inspector, a constable and a civilian were killed and the men got into the armoury and went away with their arms. The council chairman has ordered that workers should remain at home with a call for an investigation”
But the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Chidi Nwabuzor, said there was no fatality in the attack.
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In a statement, he said: “During a gun duel, one of the suspected armed robbers was shot dead, two policemen were wounded and they were taken to the hospital. One motorcycle, suspected to belong to the robbers was confiscated by the police. No police were killed in the attack. The police are doing their best to weed out criminal elements in that axis of the state capital. As I speak, normalcy has returned to that part of the town.”
This incident happened less than 24 hours after the Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo, issued a seven- day ultimatum to suspected hoodlums, who hijacked the peaceful #EndSARS protests in Edo State to return all stolen arms, ammunition and other items or face dire consequences.
Meanwhile, a group, Concerned Edo Citizens Forum (CECF) has condemned the attack and killing in the police station.
A statement by the Convener and Publicity Secretary of the group; Roy Oribhabor and
Evans Ogbeifun which was made available to Vanguard said: “We hereby condemn in strongest terms the heartless and callous attacks on the good people of Igueben where the police station was attacked and some persons killed. Igueben is a peaceful society with communal interdependency hence, as concerned Edo Citizens, we are worried and disturbed with this ugly incident that happened there.
“We call on security agents not to leave any stone unturned to fish out those behind this callous conduct to undermine the Nigeria police.”
