Two prison officials were on Wednesday killed by yet-to-be-identified gunmen in Okigwe town, Imo State.

Our correspondent gathered that the attack, which happened at the Umulolo section of the town, caused panic in the community.

A security officer, who asked not want to be identified, told our correspondent that the officers were ambushed by their attackers.

The source said, “Two Hilux vans of the Imo Custodial Centre were attacked on Wednesday morning by gunmen at Umulolo Okigwe. The attackers threw dynamite into the vehicles. Two officers were killed on the spot, while others were rushed to a hospital. While one Hilux van was destroyed by the dynamite, the other was not affected.

“The unaffected van has been rescued and returned to base at the command’s headquarters in Owerri. The officers are attached to Operation Search and Flush, established by the Imo State Government to deal with crimes in the state. They took off from Owerri in the morning and on reaching Okigwe, the gunmen, who laid siege, ambushed them.”

The spokesperson for the police, Goodluck Uboegbulem, said the command was assessing the situation.