Eyewitnesses, who spoke about what the saw, during the attacks on police facilities, but unknown gunmen, are of the view, that the gunmen operated like spirits, and were very sophisticated. Kingsley Okafor, Chukwuebuka Ogueri, Madu Mba and Sampson confirmed this, while speaking to newsmen.
Since February to April of 2021, there have been attacks on about seven divisional police headquarters in the state, along with the State Police Command in Owerri, two court buildings, two Local Government Area secretariats, the Federal Correctional Facility in Owerri, as well as an Army checkpoint at Ukwuorji along the Owerri – Onitsha expressway.
Damian Nwokeoma, a resident of Owerri, who resides near the Owerri Correctional Facility and the Imo State Police Command headquarters, both of which were attacked on the 5th of April, 2021, with about 1,884 inmates escaping, stated that that day, was the most terrible day in his life.
He revealed that most security men on duty that night at the correctional Facility, as well as at the police Command headquarters, ran away and took refuge in his compound and other houses in his neighbourhood.
He stated that his house shares a fence with the Correctional Facility, and saw men with AK47 rifles, jumping into his compound.
He later realised they were security operatives fleeing the shooting, and stated that some wore their briefs and plain cloths.
Kelechi Okwuolisa, another eyewitness, who also resided close to the Correctional Facility, backed up Nwokeoma’s narrative, as he claimed his house also served as refuge for fleeing policemen and prison officials.
Both men confirmed that that was no resistance from the security operatives against the gunmen, as the security men fled to save themselves.
Madu Mba at the Aboh Mbaise divisional police headquarters, as well as Kingsley Okafor at the Mbieri divisional headquarters, recalled the day the stations were attacked by the gunmen, who also set the police stations on fire.
Sampson, an eyewitness at the attack on the Ehime Mbano police Divisional headquarters, was of the view, that the attack was an affront to the security apparetus in the state.
The police station was attacked during the visit of the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, to the state. The immediate past Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, along with top federal government functionaries were all in the state when the attack was going on, and there was no resistance from security operatives.
The attacks have seemed very coordinated, with the gunmen seeming to vanish into thin air immediately they finish operating, as the police have not yet been able to intercept their arrival or exit, making residents and eyewitnesses assume they operate like spirits.
Senator Hope Uzodinma had accused the attacks as being politically motivated, while the IPOB, have denied involvement in the attacks.
