Nigeria: Gunmen attack police station, abduct policeman

By Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu

KANO, Nigeria (AA) - Gunmen stormed a police station in Nigeria’s southeastern Imo state in the wee hours of Thursday and abducted a police officer, a police official said.

Orlando Ikeokwu, a police spokesman, said two police officers were also injured in the attack in Mbaitoli local government area.

Ebikam Nokey, a community leader, said the gunmen managed to free several suspects from the police station.

Nwachukwu Nnmeribe, a local resident, said policemen on duty engaged the attackers in a gun duel, but they were overpowered by the gunmen who had sophisticated weapons.

This came a few days after 1,844 inmates escaped in a jail break in the Imo state.

The police blamed the attacks on the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) but the group has distanced itself from the attacks.