BREAKING: Gunmen Dare Uzodimma, Attack Police Division In His Village, Kill DPO, Armourer

By Gideon Njoku

On Monday, July 26, just 48 hours after Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, assured Imo State Stakeholders of adequate security in the state, Gunmen, who rode on several motorcycles, hit him hard.

They invaded the Police Division in his Community, Omuma, shot and killed both the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, and the Division’s Armourer. After killing them, they burnt their bodies.

However, the Gunmen were unsuccessful in their bid to burn down the Police Division, as they were eventually repelled by gallant Police officers, who rallied round, after they were initially taken unawares, to return fire.

Even though none of the attackers was killed, a number of them have been, allegedly, arrested.

The attack which happened late evening, coincided with the day the Leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was billed to appear in court at an Abuja Federal High Court, for the continuation of his trial.

Even though the trial did not hold, as Kanu was not produced in Court, because of what the Directorate of State Services, DSS, explained as  logistics problems, the coincidence of the attack, to the trial date, raised the suspicion of some people that the attack may have been, allegedly, carried out by IPOB.

There is no confirmed evidence yet of the identities  of the attackers.

A reliable source informed this magazine that the attackers came from Nnewi, Anambra State which, along with Onitsha was shut down for Kalu’s Court appearance. They rode in several motorcycles, which they allegedly, snatched.

On arrival to Omuma, they began intense shooting. At the time, the DPO was alleged to be in the company of the Area Commander. On hearing the gunshots, the Area Commander had, allegedly, drawn the attention of the DPO to them.

The DPO, however, dismissed it, saying it must be his boys. When the gunshots got uncomfortably close to the Police Division, the Area Commander was said to have insisted they leave the office. But the DPO preferred their staying inside an office.

The Area Commander thought otherwise, and escaped into a nearby bush to monitor events. The DPO went into his office. That was where the gunmen, who had successfully entered the Division saw him. They shot him and set his body on fire. In a bid to, allegedly, raid the Armoury, they also killed and burnt the body of the Armourer. But they were unable to raid the Armoury, or burn down the Division as planned.

This Magazine gathered that a number of them have been arrested. Investigation has started.  The investigation,  a source told this Magazine, will, among other things, focus on why the Area Commander escaped to safety, and why the DPO stayed in his office, instead of leading and gallivanising their boys to action.

It will be the second time Gunmen would attack the Governor’s Community.

During the first attack, a couple of months ago, Governor Uzodimma’s country home was their main target. A security guard was killed during the unprecedented incident.