By BARBARA KALU, Imo-
The Imo State Police Command has said that its operatives have killed four hoodlums who allegedly attacked Izombe Police Division in Oguta Local Government Area of the state on Saturday night.
The attack came less than 24 hours after gunmen razed the Atta police station in Njaba council area.
In a statement on Sunday, The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Abutu Yaro, said that many of the bandits fled with bullet wounds.
According to him: “The hoodlums in their numbers, launched an offensive on the Izombe police station but were repelled by the gallant policemen on duty”.
“Four hoodlums were neutralised during the attack while others escaped with bullet wounds”.
He said that a mop up operation was ongoing to arrest fleeing members of the gang.
In another development, the police said they uncovered an illegal depot at Ogbo Oshishi (timber market) Naze in Owerri North local government area, where petroleum products were stored for onward transportation to locations targeted for attacks.
CP Yaro said the police, acting on information received from credible sources, moved operatives of the command attached to Anti Riot Unit and Quick Intervention Team to the place and arrested six persons.
He said the illegal depot, comprising 14 shops was fully stocked with petroleum products suspected to have been obtained through bunkering.
The police boss said one tanker truck with registration number, GWA 568 AA was intercepted discharging petroleum products into some drums at the illegal depot.
He said the suspects also discharged the product in sacks, using a Robin EY15 pumping machine, adding that both the truck and the pumping machine were recovered.