Police confirm killing of three officers by gunmen in Ebonyi

The Ebonyi State Police Command has confirmed the killing of three policemen along Ogoja/ Abakaliki Express Road by Nwaezenyi junction while they were on stop and search.

The Ebonyi State Police Command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Loveth Odah, who confirmed the incident in a telephone interview in Abakaliki, said that the policemen were attached to Safer Highway.

The gunmen were said to be in a convoy disguising to be mourners, but on getting to the police checkpoint at Nwaezenyi where they were flanked down, they immediately opened fire on the officers, killing two on the spot, while they later killed another officer and set a police van ablaze on the same road.

According to her; “On getting to the police checkpoint, they were stopped for a stop and search. Immediately, they opened fire on the police officers, killing 2 officers who were close to the scene.

“Some of our personnel on patrol who were close to the scene on hearing the gunshots rushed to help their other colleagues not knowing that the Keke Napep operators that passed them were among the persons that attacked the police officers.”

“The Keke Napep occupants on getting to where the Police vehicle was parked with one officer at the checkpoint shot and killed the officer and set the vehicle that was parked there ablaze. That made them three police officers we lost yesterday.”

She said that a Police team led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Charge of Operations has been despatched to the area for an on the spot assessment of what happened at the place, adding that more details would be unveiled.

The PPRO also said that the command was linking the attack to the breakthrough the command recorded last week Thursday being April 8, 2021.

She said that on the said date, some Police Officers were at a checkpoint in Umuoghara in Ezza North Local Government Area of the state and through the bush some men opened fire on the police officers.

According to her; “But because of the smartness of the Police Officers, they returned the fire and shot at them demobilising two out of the seven attackers.”

She added that the arrested suspects were currently helping the police with useful information.

“We are still trying to know how to get at their colleagues because according to them, they were seven of them. Two were shot at, though they survived the bullet wounds.”

She called on members of the public to avail the Police Command of useful information that would lead to the arrest of other members of their gang.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded 624 New Infections Last Week, Lowest In Over Five Months

Last week, Nigeria recorded 624 new COVID-19 infections which is the lowest the country recorded in five months, Tribune Online analysis shows.

The 624 new cases reported between March 28 and April 3 is a reduction from the 849 recorded the previous week…Police confirm killing of three officers by gunmen in Ebonyi

Police confirm killing of three officers by gunmen in Ebonyi