Gunmen on Tuesday attacked the Divisional Police Headquarters, Afuze, the administrative headquarters of Owan East Local Government Area, killing the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), crime officer and two other officers.
Also killed was a boy said to have been hit by a stray bullet.
The hoodlums who attacked the police station with explosive devices also set ablaze vehicles and motorcycles within the premises and a police Hilux patrol van parked inside the premises of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the locality.
The officers killed in the attack are Inspector Tosimani Ojo, the DPO of the station, Sergeant Justina Aghomon, a pregnant woman, Inspector Sado Isaac, and Corporal Glory David.
The Edo State commissioner of police, Muhammed Danmallam, who visited the scene of the incident, said investigation would commence immediately, pledging that those responsible for the attack would be brought to book.
According to Danmallam, urgent steps will be taken to curb the increasing cases of criminality in Owan axis of the state.
Sergeant Justina Aghomon, the deceased female officer, was recently transferred to the station from Benin City. She was also said to be on duty when the hoodlums struck.
The heavily armed men also broke into the cell and released all the suspects.
An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, said the incident happened between 7.15pm and 7.30pm on Tuesday, saying the hoodlums used explosive to blow up the office of the DPO before shooting him to death.
Another eyewitness, Godwin Ikpekhia, said the incident occurred at about 8pm Tuesday night when many of the officers of the Division had gone for outside duty.
“We only heard gun shoot and nobody knew what happened until this morning. The DPO with three other officers who were on duty were killed on the spot 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
