By Ade Oyeyemi
Two police officers have been killed and three others injured after suspected gunmen attacked the Uratta Divisional Police Station in Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State.
The Abia State Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, confirmed the casualties while speaking with journalists at a hospital in Aba following an inspection of the scene by Governor Alex Otti.
Afolabi said the injured officers were receiving medical attention, adding that investigations had commenced to identify and arrest those responsible for the attack.
He urged police personnel to remain vigilant and adopt necessary safety measures to prevent a recurrence.
During the assault, the attackers reportedly set a police van ablaze and vandalised a Toyota vehicle, a power generator and other valuables within the station.
The police commissioner thanked Otti for visiting the facility and pledging to pay the medical bills of the injured officers.
The latest attack comes amid continuing concerns over assaults on security personnel and police facilities in parts of the country.
In May 2026, 17 officers were reportedly killed when terrorists attacked the Nigerian Army Special Forces School in Buni Yadi, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State.
The officers were said to have been undergoing specialised operational training when the attackers struck the facility in the early hours of May 8.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Placid, said the assailants approached the training facility from multiple directions at about 1:15 a.m., triggering an intense confrontation that resulted in the officers’ deaths.
In September, a police officer was also among five people reportedly killed in separate attacks in Barkin Ladi and Mangu local government areas of Plateau State, despite a dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed in the affected communities.
Abia State has also recorded previous attacks on police personnel. In November 2024, a police officer was reportedly killed when gunmen ambushed a patrol team along Asaga Road in Ohafia Local Government Area.
The officers were said to have been on patrol when about six young men intercepted them. One officer was killed, while two colleagues who sustained injuries reportedly escaped into the bush.
