Unknown gunmen have reportedly set ablaze eight security operatives inside their operational vehicles in Imo state.
The security agents comprising soldiers, policemen and Nigeria Security And Civil Defence Corps were said to have been killed on Tuesday morning in Umualumaku community, Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of the state.
It was gathered that none of them survived as they were burnt inside their operational vehicles.
The joint security taskforce team were reported to have been ambushed and set ablaze by their attackers.
A security operative who doesn’t want to be mentioned told our correspondent that reinforcement teams had been sent to the scene of the crime with the intent to arrest the suspects and rescue the corpses of the slain security operative.
A resident in the community who pleaded anonymity for security reasons said that he saw the security agents a few minutes before they were set ablaze.
He said that the community had been thrown into confusion, owing to the development.
“The incident just happened about two hours ago. At first, I saw the two Hilux vehicles as they drove from Oriagu heading to the Aba branch in Ehime Mbano.
“As I am talking to you now the Hilux vehicles are still on fire. The soldiers were burnt by the gunmen.
“Tension is everywhere. We have closed our shops. We are going home. We are seeing a lot of security operatives.
“They blocked the road. People are running to our homes. Our people are afraid anything can happen now.
“The first vehicle, I saw over five soldiers. In the second, I saw more than four security operatives. They said all of them were killed.”
When contacted, the spokesperson for the police in the state, Henry Okoye, confirmed the development but asked for time to get the full details of the horrible incident.
