The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, has confirmed the attack on the residence of Cyprian Akolisa, the immediate past Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state.

Yaro, in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Elkana Bala, said that two persons were killed by the hoodlums while four houses were set on fire but were partly burnt.

According to the CP, four of the hoodlums were fatally injured by security forces during a gun battle, while others escaped with bullet wounds.

He said that he had ordered the immediate deployment of Police Special Forces in the hinterlands in order to reinforce the security forces patrolling those areas.

“The deployment came as a result of the recent shift of criminal activities to some parts of the hinterlands following their major defeat in the last few days while attempting to attack Owerri, the state capital.

“This also as a result of the recent attack which happened in the early hours of today, when some hoodlums attacked some houses at Amaebu community in Orsu Local Government Area, Imo State,” the statement added.

The CP said that the effort of the criminals to destroy the entire community was swiftly resisted by the police and other supporting security agencies and the vigilant members of the community.

He said that the area the fleeing hoodlums ran into was already being combed, cordoned off and a search operation was ongoing to mop up the criminal elements.

The CP while briefing the Special Forces at the Command Headquarters Owerri, charged them to deal ruthlessly with the criminal elements disturbing the hinterlands.

He admonished them to be firm on criminals but polite to members of the public, adding that they were to carry out their statutory duties in line with their extant laws and global best practices.