EXCLUSIVE: Nigeria Police Have Abandoned Ikiriki Station In Enugu Since 2021 Over Multiple Attacks By ‘Unknown Gunmen’

SaharaReporters gathered that personnel deployed to the Ikiriki station were forced to vacate the facility and merge operations with the Uwani Police Division after sustained assaults by suspected gunmen between 2019 and 2021.

Police operatives have abandoned the Ikiriki Police Station in Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State following repeated deadly attacks by gunmen that claimed the lives of officers and led to the looting of weapons from the station’s armoury.

SaharaReporters gathered that personnel deployed to the Ikiriki station were forced to vacate the facility and merge operations with the Uwani Police Division after sustained assaults by suspected gunmen between 2019 and 2021.

Sources said the attacks created an atmosphere of fear and vulnerability that made continued occupation of the station untenable.

According to security sources who spoke on Thursday, the police post has remained completely deserted since late 2021, during the peak of violent attacks attributed to “unknown gunmen” across the South-East region.

Despite relative improvements in security in parts of Enugu metropolis in recent times, the station has not been reoccupied.

A visit to the Ikiriki Police Station by SaharaReporters on Thursday revealed clear signs of long-term abandonment.

The premises were overgrown with thick weeds, while parts of the perimeter fence had collapsed. The main entrance gate was observed to be partially damaged, further underscoring the extent to which the facility has been left unattended.

Residents in the area expressed concern over the continued abandonment of the station, noting that its absence has weakened visible security presence in the community.

Some locals recalled that the station was once a key security outpost before the wave of violent attacks forced officers to withdraw.

SaharaReporters further learned that in one of the major attacks in 2019, gunmen stormed the station, killing at least one police officer and injuring several others. During subsequent attacks, weapons were reportedly carted away from the armoury, heightening fears of further criminal activities in the area.

Attempts to secure an official response from the Enugu State Police Command were unsuccessful. The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, failed to answer multiple phone calls and did not reply to a text message seeking clarification on why the station remains abandoned despite assurances of improved security in the state capital.