Three police officers were injured on Thursday when gunmen attacked a police checkpoint along Ekwulobia expressway, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The incident, which occurred hours after gunmen attacked Nteje Divisional Police Headquarters in Oyi Local Government Area of the state, was the third attack to be reported in the South-east, in one day.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that gunmen attacked a polling unit where the Continuous Voter Registration Exercise was being held in Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State killing one official, on Thursday.

Reports in the local media had claimed the latest incident happened at Isuofia, home town of the governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo, and that one police officer was killed in the attack.

But in a statement on Friday, the police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, denied the reports insisting that the attack did not happen at the governor’s community and that no police officer was killed in the attack.

“The mobile personnel posted at the (check) point repelled the attack, but unfortunately three of them sustained gunshot injuries during the gun battle with the hoodlums,” he said.

Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, said the command had deployed some police operatives in the area to restore normalcy.

“Calm has returned in the area,” Mr Ikenga said.

He said the police had launched an operation to arrest the fleeing suspects.

Attacks by armed persons have been on the increase in the South-east in recent times. The attacks often target security agencies and government facilities.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), an outlawed group, has been linked to the deadly attacks in the South-east. But the group has repeatedly denied their involvement in the attacks.

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

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