No lives were lost in the attack and no arms were taken away from the station.
Suspected armed robbers and drug dealers in Abia State burnt down a police station at Ahiaukwu Olokoro, in the Umuahia South Local Government Area, in a daring attack that took place on Tuesday, December 12, 2017.
According to a report by The Punch, the attack took place around 8pm and resulted in the destruction of an operational vehicle attached to the station, as well as a tricycle parked on the premises which were both burnt by the attackers.
They also broke the windscreen of a Volkswagen car also parked on the premises of the station.
The state's Commissioner of Police, Anthony Ogbizi, who confirmed the attack on Wednesday, December 13, revealed that the attack was as a result of arrests made in the area.
He said after officers raided the Ahiaukwu Olokoro area and arrested four suspected drug dealers and armed robbers, the hoodlums attacked and aided the escape of two of the suspects before they could be transferred to the police division at Ubakala.
He said, "We created two nipping points in the dustbin area and Ahiaukwu Olokoro because the areas serve as escape routes for kidnappers. Criminals that smoke hemp and deal in hard drugs also use the Ahiaukwu Olokoro area as a safe haven.
"On Tuesday, our operatives raided Ahiaukwu Olokoro and arrested four hoodlums following a tip-off that the drug dealers were in the area.
"But after the arrest, some suspected hoodlums mobilised and attacked the police post in the area. They were able to aid the escape of two of the criminals with handcuffs, while our officers were moving the suspects to the Ubakala division.
"They later went back and set the police post on fire. The fire burnt down the building with the operational vehicle attached to the post."
The Commissioner revealed that no lives were lost in the attack and no arms were taken away from the station.
The Commissioner also disclosed that officers have already arrested seven of the hoodlums responsible for the attack and promised to hunt the others down and make them face the law.