Four policemen were on Monday, July 29, shot dead by gunmen in the Irete community along Onitsha Road in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
The officers were said to be on a stop-and-search operation in the area when they were attacked by the gunmen. A Point of Sale (PoS) operator was also killed in the ambush by daredevil gunmen.
Police spokesman in the state, Henry Okoye confirmed the unfortunate incident and said the command is on the trail of the perpetrators.
The Commissioner of Police Imo State Command, CP Aboki Danjuma has strongly condemned the attack and gruesome m%rder of four Police Operatives and a civilian by gunmen suspected to be members of the Proscribed IPOB/ESN and has deployed the Command’s Tactical Units with the available operational assets and intelligence to go all out in synergy with other security agencies and hunt down the hoodlums responsible for the attack.
The operatives were ambushed while on routine patrol at Irete along the Owerri-Onitsha express road. They fought gallantly but unfortunately, four paid the supreme price, while a civilian was fatally hit.
On receipt of the unfortunate incident, the Commissioner of Police immediately mobilized to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment of the ugly incident wherein the lifeless bodies of the deceased were evacuated and deposited at the mortuary for preservation while the injured victim was rushed to a nearby hospital where he is currently responding to treatment.
The Commissioner of Police expressed sadness over the unfortunate incident and vowed that the Command will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the perpetrators are all arrested and brought to justice, stressing that the miscreants responsible for the senseless attack have murdered peace.
The tragic incident serves as a painful reminder of the daily risks and sacrifices Police officers embrace in their unwavering commitment to public safety.”
Okoye mentioned that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, commiserated with the families of the deceased victims and prayed for the repose of their souls.
”The Commissioner of Police calls on the general public, particularly the residents of Ogbakwu who may have any information that will assist the Police in apprehending the hoodlums responsible for the attack to report the same at the nearest Police Station or via the Command’s emergency lines 08034773600 or 08098880197,” Okoye said.
