Three persons, including a police officer, have been killed in a gun battle with suspected members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Agwa, Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria’s South-eas

The incident happened at about 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

The police spokesperson in Imo State, Michael Abattam, confirmed the incident on Friday.

He said the attack occurred when some suspected members of IPOB and its militant wing, ESN, emerged from surrounding bushes and opened fire on police officers on patrol duty in the area.

Mr Abattam, however, said the police operatives engaged the gunmen in a “fire fight” and killed two of the suspects during the attack.

“The corpses of the hoodlums were later deposited at Federal Medical Centre Mortuary while investigation is on-going,” he said.

He said the operatives gave the hoodlums a “hot chase” and arrested some of them who were attempting to flee the area.

He said other police officers who sustained minor injuries in the attack had been treated and discharged from hospital.

The police spokesperson said the surrounding bushes were combed for possible recovery of arms used by the suspects.

Two locally-made double barrel guns with seven live cartridges and 10 expended cartridges were some of the items recovered during the operation, the police said.

Mr Abattam said the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Ahmed Barde, has consoled the family of the police officer who was killed in the attack.

The commissioner appealed to residents to continue to support and collaborate with the police by giving them and other security agencies “credible and timely information” for prompt action.

Like other states in the South-east, attacks by gunmen have increased recently in Imo State. The attacks often target security agencies and government facilities.

The latest attack comes three days after gunmen killed and then beheaded two soldiers at an unknown location in the state.

The Nigerian government has accused IPOB of being responsible for the attacks in the region. But the separatist group has repeatedly denied involvement in the attacks.

IPOB is leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria.

Leader of the separatist group, Nnamdi Kanu, is currently being detained in Abuja where he is facing trial for alleged treason.