A DIVISIONAL police officer (DPO), pregnant police officer and two more have been shot dead by gunmen who stormed the Afuze divisional police command in Owan-East Local Government Area of Edo state.
The attack claimed the lives of the officers who were on duty at the station on Tuesday including Tosimani Ojo, the DPO of the police station; Justina Aghomon, a pregnant woman; Sado Isaac and Glory David.
Godwin Ikpekhia, a witness, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday that the attack happened at about 8 pm on Tuesday when most of the officers in the police division were away on duty.
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The armed men were also reported to have attacked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Afuze, destroying electoral materials and setting a police van in the premises on fire.
“We only heard gunshots and nobody knew what actually happened until Wednesday morning,” Ikpekhia said.
“The divisional police officer, alongside three other officers who were on duty were killed on the spot, inside the building.
“The hoodlums didn’t just stop at that; they went to the INEC office and were shooting sporadically at policemen who were on duty there. Election materials and a police van at the INEC office were burnt by the hoodlums.”
Muhammed Danmallam, commissioner of police, who visited the scene told NAN that investigation would kick-off without delay.
“Urgent steps will be taken to curb the increasing cases of criminality in the Owan axis of the state,’’ he said.
Similar attacks have occurred in the same area in recent past, such as the kidnap of Ohio Ezomo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) house of assembly candidate for Owan-West, where his military aide was shot dead.