Tony Osauzo, Benin
Gunmen on Tuesday night, attacked the Divisional Police Station at Afuze, in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State, killing the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and three other officers who were on duty.
The identities of the officers who lost their lives in the attack were given as Superintendent Tosimani Ojo, (the DPO of the station), Sergeant Justina Aghomon, a pregnant policewoman, Inspector Sado Isaac, and Corporal Glory David.
The gunmen were also said to have gained access into the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the local government and burnt a police van in the compound.
There are fears that the gunmen might have carted away weapons from the police station.
According to an eyewitness, Mr Godwin Ikpekhia, the incident occurred at about 8pm on Tuesday night when many of the officers of the division had gone out on outside duty.
“We only had gunshots and nobody knew what happened until this morning.
“The divisional police officer with three other officers who were on duty were killed right inside the building.
“The hoodlums didn’t stop at that, they went to the INEC office and were shooting sporadically in order to attack men who were on duty.
“Election materials and police van in INEC office were burnt down by the hoodlums,” he said.
But checks revealed that no election materials were burnt.
The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Muhammed Danmallam who visited the scene of the incident, said an investigation would commence immediately.
He vowed that those responsible for the attack would be brought to book.
“Urgent steps will be taken to curb the increasing cases of criminality in Owan axis of the state. Recall that the attack on officers and men of the Nigeria Police has become quite unusual in Owan. On July 14 last year, four police officers were attacked at a check point in the area; they were killed and burnt inside their Hilux patrol van.
“Also on January 23 this year, the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly candidate for Owan West, Mr Ohio Ezomo, was kidnapped while his orderly was killed on the spot.”