Gunmen have razed Atta Divisional Police Headquarters, magistrate and high Courts and vandalized the community’s health Centre, in the latest arson in troubled Imo state.
Atta is in the Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo.
The burning of the police station and courts took place between 1 and 2 am Saturday, with the hoodlums shooting sporadically for close to an hour before hitting their targets.
John Agbaso, a former president-general of the community confirmed the incident.
“It was just one week ago that the house of the president-general of the community, Chijioke Duruonyeokwu, was set ablaze by unknown people with his wife killed”, he lamented.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bala Elkana, confirmed the incident in a statement issued in Owerri.
According to the statement, some hoodlums in their numbers stormed the court premises in Attah and set the court buildings on fire.
Elkana further stated that they damaged a building, which was constructed by the community for the police division.
He added that the Commissioner of Police, Mr Abutu Yaro, had ordered full investigation into the incident.
A police station was also attacked on Tuesday in Orji, Owerri North Local Government area by gunmen.
The attacks of police formations in different parts of the state have caused tension and fear among the residents.
Businesses and major markets could not open on Saturday in Owerri and its environs, ahead of Monday’s sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra.
Human and vehicular movement in the state capital was also limited, in spite of the police assurances of safety of lives and property in the state.
However, some small businesses and petrol stations in the outskirts of Owerri were open for business during the day.
