Gunmen kill three, injure two in Imo community

Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Barde, has confirmed the killing of three persons, while two others sustained bullet wounds.

The confirmation was made through a statement issued yesterday, by the command’s spokesperson, Michael Abattam, disclosing that the victims were holding a community meeting in Umuebele, Opkoro, in Orlu Local Council of the state, when the unknown gunmen stormed the venue, killing three, leaving two with bullet wounds.

The statement said: “Following a report received on June 16, 2022, at about 08: 00 hours, that armed bandits operating in a red Toyota Sienna vehicle without registration number, attacked and shot five persons and drove off almost immediately to an unknown destination in Umuebele Okporo in Orlu.

“The Commissioner of Police, Imo Command, CP Mohammed Barde, immediately dispatched the command’s tactical teams to the area. Preliminary investigation revealed that they were having a meeting in front of their compound, when, suddenly, some yet-to-be-identified gunmen stormed the venue, shot at them severally and zoomed off to an unknown destination.”

Explaining the outcome of the investigation, the statement said: “Consequently, three persons died on the spot while two others sustained bullet wounds and were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. The corpses were later recovered and deposited in the mortuary.”

Barde assured that the community and environs have been secured after the incident.

“Meanwhile, the investigation is ongoing. The community and its environs have been fortified with more security personnel. More so, the command is working in collaboration with other security agencies to ensure perpetrators of this dastardly act are arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law,” Barde said.