The Imo State Police Command said it has beefed up security in the state in the Okigwe area, following the recent attack by yet-to-be-identified gunmen in the area popularly called Gariki, Ama Awusa, occupied predominantly by northerners.
Reacting to the attack that claimed six lives, Commissioner of Police Aboki Danjuma vowed that the attackers would be apprehended.
In a statement released to journalists by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASP Henry Okoye, the Commissioner of Police assured the residents of Okigwe, particularly the traders at Gariki Market, of their maximum safety and security.
He gave this assurance during his visit to Okigwe for an on-the-spot assessment of the market following the unwarranted attack in the area by hoodlums suspected to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and Eastern Security Network, ESN.
The statement also informed that police operatives, in synergy with the military and the local vigilantes, are currently carrying out intensive operations in the area to clamp down on hoodlums responsible for the senseless act of violence.
CP Aboki Danjuma urged the residents of Okigwe to go about their lawful businesses without fear, as adequate security measures have been put in place to forestall any future occurrences.
He enjoined them to continue to support the police and other security agencies with valuable information by reporting any suspicious person seen or clandestine activity observed within their vicinity to the nearest police station, as he maintained that security is everybody’s business.
DAILY POST learnt that in the early hours of Thursday, yet-to-be-identified gunmen attacked the area and killed six people.
According to a report from one of the residents in the area, they first heard gunshots at about midnight and the operation lasted until 9 am.