Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi, has given more details over attacks on the Imo State Police headquarters, and the Correctional Centre, Owerri by unknown gunmen.
More than 1, 500 inmates were freed by the gunmen from the Correctional facility during the attack
The Minister who featured on Channels Television “Politics Today” Programme and monitored in Owerri, revealed that the gunmen came “in large numbers”
He confirmed the report by a former Director of DSS operative, Dennis Amachree, who had said the secret police alerted the Nigeria Police Force at least three times before Monday attacks in Imo but the police failed to act on intelligence.
The Minister said “People are always pointing accusing fingers at the police. This report was not just sent to the police, it was sent to other security agencies and to the government as far as my understanding is concerned and then the police at that particular time did the best that they could but they were overpowered.
“Don’t forget that these people came prepared, they came with all the arsenals at their disposal and they came in large numbers and that is why they were able to overpower the police at the entrance of the police headquarters in Owerri.
“So, it is not just the police to be blamed, the police did their best and it was not only the police that was hit; the correctional centre in Owerri was also attacked. It is a collective responsibility. Security is the responsibility of everybody and we have a responsibility to ensure that we remain alert and focused on these issues 24 hours a day.”
READ MORE