TWO officers of the Nigeria Police Force were killed and burnt on Monday during a fatal encounter between the Police officers and members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Anambra.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Anambra Command, Haruna Mohammed confirmed the incident to The ICIR.
He said contrary to reports that the police attacked members of the IPOB, it was the IPOB members that attacked the Policemen while they were about to discharge their duty.
Haruna revealed that the police officers were at the house of IPOB Lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, in Ifite Oraifite, Ekwusigo Local Government for an arrest after he failed to respond to police invitations for questioning on alleged abduction and malicious damage.
“Immediately the police got there, IPOB members numbering over 50 attacked the police officers with dangerous weapons including riffles and machetes,” Haruna said.
He added that the attack claimed the lives of two senior police officers who were burnt inside the police vehicle.
“Several others sustained injuries and they also abducted a police Inspector who was later rescued by a combined team of the police and the Nigerian Army,” he added.
When asked the names of the police officers that were killed during the attack and if any IPOB member was killed, Haruna responded that “as far as the Police are concerned, we are not aware of the killing of any IPOB member”
He said the police officers were burnt beyond recognition that the police are still trying to identify them.
He revealed that the police were able to arrests ‘a reasonable number’ of the IPOB members.
Meanwhile, the Leader of the IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu wrote on his official Twitter handle that Nigerian forces invaded the home of his lawyer to assassinate him and his family members but failed, killing two IPOB members.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via labolade@icirnigeria.org, on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94