Gunmen have set Umuguma police headquarters in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State on fire.
The incident which happened at about 4:45 am on Saturday witnessed heavy bombardment at the station leading to properties worth millions of Naira being destroyed.
According to eyewitnesses, the cross exchange of gunshots sent residents of the area scampering for safety.
The attackers also allegedly killed two police constabularies who were on duty.
It was learnt that on arrival, the gunmen who came with guns and explosives immediately opened fire at the divisional headquarters after blocking the roads leading in and out of the station, including the one close to the LGA council headquarters.
The eyewitnesses said that the sounds of the weapons the attackers came with frightened them as they ran into bushes out of fear of being hit by stray bullets.
A resident of the area who pleaded not to be mentioned for fear of being attacked said these hoodlums were mean. “On arrival, they blocked the roads, threw their dynamites into the police station and opened fire. They now laid ambush to attack officers who ran out of the station for safety.
“Unfortunately, two police constabularies by name Ifeanyi and Iyke were killed. Ifeanyi was from Umunkwo in Umuguma community here. He was a final year student at Imo state University in Owerri. I knew him. It is just one year now he was recruited. He was trying to scale the fence when they used machete and cut him. He was sliced. The young man died on the spot. This is very unfortunate.
“The second victim, Iyke was from Avu community. They shot him at one of his legs as he fled. He was later found dead at a water stand where he possibly went to drink water. This is very unfortunate.”
It was gathered that it took the effort of firefighters from Owerri to quench the inferno.
Another eyewitness said ” firefighters just quenched the fire now. The entire place is in a state of fear and confusion as we didn’t sleep last night. The sound of the guns and bombs were too frightening. The invasion was deadly.”
The attack came few hours after the Assistant Inspector General of police in charge of zone 9- Umuahia, Isaac Akinmoyede, left the state after a one-day working visit.
However, the spokesperson for the police in the state, Michael Abattam, a CSP told newsmen that there was no casualty recorded during the attack.
“The attack is true but there was no casualty and no policeman was killed as at the time we received the report,” he said.