Militants armed with guns and rocket-propelled grenades launched a series of coordinated attacks overnight in South Eastern Nigeria on April 5.


Militants armed with guns and rocket-propelled grenades launched a series of coordinated attacks overnight in South Eastern Nigeria on April 5. The attacks began around 2 a.m. in Owerri town in Imo state and it continued for two hours. Heavily armed gunmen attacked police and military buildings, reported AP citing authorities.
Nigerian authorities said that the forces have started their efforts to re-arrest the criminals who fleed from the prison. Nigeria prison spokesman Francis Enobore told AP that 35 other inmates stayed behind during the prison break but over 1,800 inmates had fled. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the Nigeria inspector general of police has blamed a paramilitary wing of a secessionist movement active in the region. The name of the wing is Eastern Security Network.
The Eastern Security Network has said that they are fighting for the protection of the Igbo people from foreign invaders who are killing their people. Police said that the militants were armed with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and improvised explosive devices. The attackers attempted to gain access to the police station at the headquarters was totally and appropriately resisted.
The attempt by the attackers to gain access to the police armory at the headquarters was totally and appropriately resisted, a police statement said.

President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the deadly insurgent attack that took place at the Police Command Headquarters and the Correctional Facility in Owerri. He has called it an act of terrorism. The President directed security and intelligence agencies in the state and the geo-political zone to go after the terrorists. President Buhari appealed to the people to assist the law enforcement agencies with relevant information so that the fleeing criminals can be rearrested. Garba Shehu, the president’s spokesperson has in series of tweets wrote the response of the President about the attack.