Gunmen attack NDLEA office in Ebonyi, kill police officer

One police officer has been killed in an attack by gunmen at the headquarters of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Ebonyi State.

The spokesperson of the Ebonyi State Police Command, Loveth Odah, said, the incident took place on Tuesday, adding that two of the gunmen were also killed in the attack.

According to her, the Ebonyi State Police Commissioner, Aliyu Garba, received a distress call from the NDLEA Commandant in the South-East, at about 2:30 am on Tuesday detailing him of the attack by the gunmen who drove into the NDLEA headquarters in a Toyota 4Runner Jeep, shooting sporadically at the men on duty.

She said the Commissioner immediately mobilised a combined team of a mobile police force and military personnel to the area and promptly repelled the attack.

She disclosed that some of the gunmen later escaped with bullet injuries while two rifles, AK-49 and K2, with 140 K2 live ammunition, 30 AK-47 live ammunition, and 36 GPMP were recovered from the goons.

Other items recovered from them are; 65 Barreta Pistol live ammunition, one Toyota 4Runner Jeep, some chairs, and other incriminating materials.

She said the Command is making frantic effort to apprehend the fleeing gunmen.

Odau said the Tuesday’s incident is the latest in a series of attacks on security formations in the South-East region in recent times.

She explained that the policemen and other security personnel have been targets of attacks in the area, sparking fears among residents.

Aside from security officers, other public establishments including offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have been attacked.

Stakeholders fear that the rising wave of gunmen attacks in the South-East may affect the 2023 elections.