Unknown gunmen have reportedly killed an officer of the Nigeria Police Force in Imo state.
Reports obtained by Naijaonpoint on Monday revealed that the tragedy struck on Sunday morning when the assailants attacked a police checkpoint along the Okigwe-Umuahia Road in Okigwe Local Government Area, killing a police operative and leaving another missing.
The assailants, suspected to be members of a proscribed secessionist group, reportedly made away with rifles belonging to the officers.
According to PremiumTimes, sources disclosed that the attack occurred around 9 a.m., catching the officers on duty off guard.
The slain officer was identified simply as Oluebube, a police constable, while the missing officer was named as Casmir, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).
The attackers reportedly overpowered the officers at the checkpoint, killing the constable and disappearing with the ASP under unclear circumstances. As of Monday morning, the senior officer remained unaccounted for.
The media also reported that shortly after the attack, a secessionist group known as the Biafra Liberation Army claimed responsibility in a video posted on 𝕏.
In the said video, an unidentified man, believed to be a member of the group, was seen reporting the incident to an unnamed leader whom he addressed as the “Major-General of Biafra Liberation Army.”
He displayed two rifles, allegedly seized from the attacked officers, and confirmed the killing of one operative.
Investigations reveal that the Biafra Liberation Army is a militant wing of the Autopilot faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), led by Simon Ekpa, a Finland-based agitator currently facing terrorism-related charges in the Nordic country.
Police Confirm Attack, Launch Investigation
Confirming the attack, Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, described the gunmen as members of the outlawed IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
“An intense operation is ongoing to fish out the miscreants suspected to be members of IPOB and ESN,” Okoye, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), told journalists on Monday.
He said the Command was aware of the video circulating online, adding that it was further evidence of the group’s culpability.
“One thing I can assure you is that whenever a police officer is killed, the individuals responsible must face the wrath of the law. We must get them. It’s just a matter of time,” Okoye vowed.
Naijaonpoint reports that as of 9:30 a.m. on Monday, DSP Okoye said there was no update on the whereabouts of ASP Casmir. He said it was still unclear whether the officer had been abducted or had fled the scene during the attack.
“We are leaving no stone unturned. We are working with intelligence sources and local vigilantes in the area to ensure he is found and those responsible are brought to book,” he added.
Sunday’s incident adds to the growing number of violent attacks on security personnel and government facilities in Nigeria’s Southeast, where armed groups agitating for Biafra have repeatedly clashed with law enforcement.
The IPOB, which was declared a terrorist organisation by the Federal Government in 2017, has continued to operate in various forms despite the ban, with splinter groups like the Autopilot faction gaining notoriety for more radical tactics.
Meanwhile, residents of Okigwe and surrounding communities have been urged to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity as police operations intensify in the region.