At least three persons have been killed with several others injured in an attack on Orlu, Imo State.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Michael Abattam, confirmed the attack via a statement issued on Sunday in Owerri, the state capital.

He said the Command received a distress call that gunmen, who were operating in a red Toyota Sienna vehicle without a registration number, sped off to Umuebele Okporo community in Orlu.

“Following a report received on 16/6/2022 at about 0800 hours that armed bandits operating in a red Toyota Sienna vehicle without registration number attacked and shot five persons and drove off almost immediately to an unknown destination in Umuebele Okporo in Orlu, Imo State, the Commissioner of Police, Imo Command, CP Mohammed Ahmed Barde, psc (+), immediately dispatched the Command’s Tactical Teams to the area and on arrival,” he said in the statement.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that they were having a meeting in front of their compound when suddenly some yet-to-be-identified gunmen stormed the venue, shot at them several times, and zoomed off almost immediately to an unknown destination.

“Consequently, three persons died on the spot while two others sustained various degrees of bullet wounds and were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. The corpses were later recovered and deposited in the mortuary.”

While noting that the investigation is ongoing, the police spokesman said security has been beefed up within and around the community.

This is even as he said the Imo State Police Command is working with other security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of the dastardly act are arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.

On his part, the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ahmed Barde, commended the Okporo community for their steadfastness and support.

He assured residents of the community of the Command’s commitment to ensuring that terrorism and other violent crimes are brought to their barest minimum in the state.

The police commissioner equally appealed to Imo residents to go about their lawful businesses without fear or molestation as calm has been restored in the community. (Channels TV)