Gunmen suspected to be enforcing five-day sit-at-home on Saturday attacked and burnt police patrol vehicle at New Market area of the state capital.
Although the details of the attack were still sketchy, a senior police officer confirmed the attack to our correspondent He, however, noted no life was lost, adding that a manhunt on the gunmen had been launched.
A short video clip of the incident which our correspondent obtained showed a white patrol vehicle of police on fire.
It was gathered that the gunmen who were numbering over 10 had stormed the New Market area as early as 6am probably to shutdown the market but they were confronted by some policemen patrolling the market area to reassure traders of their safety. They were reported to have engaged the policemen in a gun duel and eventually succeeded in setting ablaze their vehicle while the policemen fled.
An eyewitness, Mike Ezeh, said, “I saw group of boys around 6am this morning shouting on traders coming to market to go home. They were shouting don’t you know there’s sit-at-home? Why are you disobeying it?
“Shortly, I saw a police patrol vehicle coming and immediately, they engaged them in a shootout. I left my goods and ran to safety. After the shooting stopped, I came out and saw they had set ablaze the police patrol vehicle in front of the Colliery hospital,” Ezeh said.
Efforts to speak with the state police public relations officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, were unsuccessful as he could not answer his calls.