The police are collaborating with the military to track down those responsible for the killing, said an official.
The police in Imo State, South-east Nigeria, have narrated how two of their operatives were killed on Monday in Imo State, South-east Nigeria.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the two police operatives were shot dead at Ahiara Junction in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of the state on Monday.
The police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, in a statement on Tuesday, said that one of the slain operatives was a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the council area while the other was an inspector.
He did not, however, mention the name of the slain operatives.
Mr Okoye, an assistant superintendent of police, said the killing was carried out by gunmen suspected to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
How they were killed
Mr Okoye said the DPO and other police officers were fueling their operational vehicles at a filling station in Ahiara Junction in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area when the gunmen attacked them.
The police spokesperson said the gunmen, who were dressed in military camouflage as well as black and red regalia, opened fire at the DPO and the inspector, killing them instantly.
He said the gunmen operated in three vehicles.
Manhunt
The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Aboki Danjuma, has deployed a special tactical squad of the police in the state and equipped them with operational assets to track down the killers, Mr Okoye said.
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Mr Danjuma said the police squad will carry out the operation in collaboration with personnel of the Nigerian military.
Meanwhile, PREMIUM TIMES gathered that a total of 18 suspects have been arrested over the killing as of Tuesday morning.
Worsening insecurity
Like other states in Nigeria's south-east, security has deteriorated in Imo State with frequent attacks by armed persons.
The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.
This latest attack occurred about two days after gunmen abducted and then killed the traditional ruler of Otulu Community in Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government Area of the state.
The killing of the traditional ruler happened barely 48 hours after gunmen killed Chiedoziem Anyanwu, a ward chairperson of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.
The Nigerian government has accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. However, the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.
IPOB leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the south-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria.
