Unknown gunmen massacre DPO, pregnant police officer, 2 others in Edo

Wednesday, March 13, 2019 11:08 pm

One of the vehicles set ablaze at the INEC office

Unknown gunmen have attacked the Divisional Police Command at Afuze, in Edo state.

Afuze is the administrative headquarters of Owan East Local Government Area of Edo.

The incident occured at about 8:pm on Tuesday Night when many of the officers of the division had gone for outside duty.

The attackers massacred the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and three other officers, including a pregnant woman police sergeant, who were on duty.

They also attacked the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the local government, where they set ablaze electoral materials and a police Hilux van in the compound.

The officers killed in the attack are, Tosimani Ojo (the DPO of the station), Sergeant Justina Aghomon, Inspector Sado Isaac and Corporal, Glory David.

An Eyewitness, Mr. Godwin Ikpekhia, said: “We only had gun shot and nobody knows what happened until this morning.

“The divisional police officer with three other officers who were on duty were killed on the spot inside the building.

“The hoodlums didn’t stop at that they went to the INEC office and were shooting sporadically in other to attack men who were on duty.

“Election materials and police van in INEC office were burnt down by the hoodlums.”

The Edo Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammed DanMallam, who visited the scene of the incident, said that investigation would commence immediately.

DanMallam vowed that those responsible for the attack will be brought to book.

“Urgent steps will be taken to curb the increasing cases of criminality in Owan axis of the state,” he said.

Attack on officers and men of the Nigeria police has become a regular occurrence in Owan.

It would be recalled that on the 14th of July last year, four police officers were attacked at a check point in the area by armed men who killed and burnt their remains inside their patrol Hilux van.

Also, on the 23th of January this year, the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly candidate for Owan West, Mr. Ohio Ezomo, was kidnapped while his police orderly was killed on the spot.