Gunmen attack Enugu police headquarters, kill officer, steal weapons

Gunmen launched a deadly attack on the Awgu Divisional Police Headquarters in Enugu State in the early hours of Monday, killing a police constable, Akpa Emmanuel, and injuring several others.

The spokesperson for the Enugu State Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed the attack in a statement, revealing that the assailants also looted the armoury, seizing an AK-47 rifle and two riot guns.

In response, the newly appointed Commissioner of Police in the state, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has deployed the Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Special Forces, the Police Mobile Force (PMF), the Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU), and other tactical teams to reinforce security at the station.

Eyewitnesses reported that the heavily armed attackers stormed the police division in the early hours of the morning, firing indiscriminately before ransacking the facility.

“The assailants also vandalised facilities at the station and made away with some weapons. Right now, there is tension in Awgu town with heavy security presence as spy agents and other operatives have taken over the area,” a resident disclosed.

The South-East region has witnessed a series of violent attacks against security formations since February 2021, with gunmen linked to separatist movements targeting police officers and destroying facilities worth billions of naira.