Ebonyi: Police confirm arrest of thugs who allegedly attacked officers and torched patrol van

Ebonyi State Command Police Commissioner Aliyu Garba on Friday confirmed the arrest of some suspected thugs who allegedly attacked officers on patrol and set fire to their pickup truck at Nkomoro/Agba, a border between the Ezza North and Ishielu State LGAs. .

Garba made this known in a statement signed and delivered to Abakaliki reporters by Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Chris Anyanwu on Friday.

The statement reads in part: "A police patrol team attached to Ezza North Division Headquarters was ambushed while on patrol by a band of thugs who fired on them from sporadically.

"But a quick response from the patrolmen caused the thugs to rush to escape, riddled with bullet wounds.

"Following the encounter, a patrol vehicle was set on fire by the disbelievers, but no lives were lost on the side of the police team. However, two police officers who were injured as a result of the attack respond to treatment in the hospital.

“It is pertinent to state that this is the first and only press release from the Ebonyi State Police Command regarding this ruthless attack.”

The commissioner, however, said no officers were killed in a shootout between police and the suspected thugs.

According to him: "It was upset when the attention of the command was drawn to the false news, claiming that two police officers had been killed during the encounter.

“I hereby refute the claim that two police officers were killed. Moreover, I have never confirmed such a false report and others that reproduced such a lie.

Garba added that "none of our weapons were taken away by the thugs. Command tactical teams entered the area and arrested a number of suspects who are assisting in the investigation. The result of investigation will be captured in later updates,” he pointed out.