The Imo State Command of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has confirmed that two of its officers alongside three other security operatives were among those killed by gunmen in Ehime-Mbano council area of Imo on Tuesday.
Addressing newsmen on Wednesday, NDLEA’s Commander in Imo, Mr Abubakar Wali said: “It is rather unfortunate that we lost two officers and had one injured.
“Investigation is ongoing and the cowardly perpetrators of this dastardly act will be fished out and prosecuted accordingly “.
Wali revealed that one officer each of the Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were also killed in the attack.
He further confirmed that one person each of NDLEA and Nigerian Navy received gunshot wounds and are receiving medical attention at the Federal University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Owerri.
According to Wali, the affected security personnel were attached to a combined team of security officers which form the Forward Operation Base, an outfit which also comprises personnel of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
Continuing, he said that vehicles belonging to the security team were razed while arms and ammunition belonging to the deceased officers were taken away from them, adding that a gun belonging to the NDLEA had been recovered.
It will be recalled that Imo State Governor, Sen Hope Uzodimma, who quickly visited the scene of the dastardly act to assess the situation, regretted that security personnel helping to checkmate criminality were being targeted.
Uzodimma tasked residents of the surrounding villages to volunteer useful information that would lead to the arrest of the fleeing assailants to security agencies.
The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Barde, who addressed journalists at the scene of the attack, disclosed that the security operatives were ambushed by gunmen at about 9.00am along the Obowo – Ehime Mbano road and fired gunshots and grenade.
