Two police officers killed as unknown gunmen attack Enugu checkpoint

Two police officers attached to the Enugu State Police Command have been killed during an attack by some gunmen along Agbani Road on Thursday, January 15.

The police while confirming the incident said the officers were killed when the assailants suspected to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN) attacked the checkpoint without provocation.

In a statement issued on Friday, the spokesperson for the Enugu Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe, said the attackers had opened fire on the officers of the Police Distress Response Squad team before setting a police patrol vehicle ablaze.

According to Ndukwe, the attackers launched mayhem on the officers without any form of provocation, prompting a swift response from the police operatives.

His words, “The operatives responded promptly, forcing the assailants to flee with varying degrees of gunshot injuries.”

Ndukwe added that the two officers, initially injured during the attack, were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment but were confirmed dead by the medical team.

He further noted that the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mamman Giwa has ordered an intensified manhunt for the attackers.

The police commissioner also directed tactical and intelligence units to, as a matter of urgency, deploy all available resources to track down the fleeing suspects.

“The Commissioner of Police has charged operatives to leverage actionable intelligence and sustain the established trail to ensure that the assailants are arrested and brought to justice,” Ndukwe said.

In addition, he said that a Lexus 330 jeep used by the suspects during the attack has since been recovered.

The vehicle, Ndukwe said was snatched from its owner and was later discovered by the police with bullet holes possibly gathered during the exchange of gunfire between the police and the suspects.

“The Command remains resolute and committed to ensuring that subversive and violent criminal elements do not evade justice,” Ndukwe said.