Gunmen, suspected to be cultists, have shot dead two people in Imo State, Nigeria’s South-east.
The police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
Mr Okoye, a deputy superintendent of police, said the attack and killing happened on Sunday in Nekede, a community in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.
“The (Imo State Police) Command strongly condemns these acts of violence and assures the public that concerted efforts are underway to ensure the swift identification, arrest, and prosecution of all individuals connected to the incidents.
“Intelligence-led policing, tactical deployments, and targeted operations have been reinforced across identified flashpoints and criminal enclaves within the state,” he said.
Manhunt for the killers
Mr Okoye said the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Audu Bosso, has intensified security operations across the state, including sustained raids on identified criminal hideouts and a coordinated manhunt for the killers.
Mr Bosso, he said, has condoled with families of the deceased victims and assured them and Nigerians that the police in the state were committed to ensuring justice for the victims without delay.
The police commissioner further assured that adequate security measures had been emplaced across the affected and adjoining areas to forestall any recurrence, enhance public safety, and sustain peace and order within the state.
The police chief urged parents and guardians to caution their wards and discourage involvement in cultism and other criminal activities, noting that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted.
He enjoined residents of Imo State to remain calm, vigilant, and to promptly report any useful or suspicious information to the police for action.
“The (Imo State Police) Command reiterates its unwavering commitment to the protection of lives and property, and to sustaining proactive policing efforts aimed at ensuring lasting peace and security across Imo State,” he added.
Increased attacks
Like other states in the South-east, security has deteriorated in Imo with frequent attacks by armed hoodlums in recent times.
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No group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack.
But the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been linked to some deadly attacks in the South-east and some parts of the south-south Nigeria.
However, IPOB has repeatedly denied being responsible for the attacks in the two regions.
The separatist group is leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra from south-east and some parts of the south-south from Nigeria.