Some unknown gunmen have invaded the Mbieri Divisional Police Headquarters in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
The attack occurred around 1 am and the gunmen released the suspects in custody in the police facility, Punch reports.
Reports also say the gunmen carted away phones belonging to suspects and the police operatives at the Division.
But a police source at Division told Punch that the gunmen were repelled by the policemen on duty.
The police source said, “We resisted them but they overpowered us. They had more sophisticated weapons. They took all the phones they saw, released the suspects when they gained access and vandalised the police building.”
The source said that the attackers kidnapped one police officer and injured two other cops.
Thursday’s attack would be the third against police facility this week alone in the state.
On Monday, a police headquarters and correctional centre were attacked by gunmen and over 1,800 inmates were freed. Not less than 50 vehicles were also burnt during the attack with the help of explosives.
A community leader, Nokey Ebikam, said the police divisional headquarters was not burnt.
According to him, the gunmen didn’t raze the police facility but freed the suspects in detention after vandalising the Division.
The attack was confirmed by Orlando Ikeokwu, Police spokesperson in the state when he was contacted by The PUNCH on Thursday morning.
He also confirmed that while one police officer was missing, two others were injured owing to the resistance put by the policemen on duty.
Ikeokwu, also confirmed that some suspects detained in the police facility were freed by the attackers.
He stressed that the police authority in the state had begun man haunt to capture the perpetrators and rearrest the freed detainees.