Gunmen have again killed a police officer in Abia State, in the south-eastern part of Nigeria.
The criminals also killed three civilians during the assault which took place on Sunday along Ngwa Street in Aba, the commercial center of the state.
The Public Relations Officer of the Abia State Police Command, Maureen Chinaka, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
Chinaka identified the policeman as Inspector Shehu Oyibo.
The police spokesperson said the slain inspector was an operative of the state’s Rapid Response Squad.
Chinaka said the late Oyibo and his colleagues were conducting a routine patrol in the area on Sunday when the gunmen attacked them at about 11:28 a.m.
The hoodlums, who were operating in an ash-coloured Sienna vehicle, suddenly opened fire on the operatives, while the operatives repelled the attack, preventing what could have been a “deadlier” outcome, according to Chinaka.
“However, during the exchange of gunfire, two of the assailants were neutralized, while others escaped with various degrees of bullet injuries,” she said.
Chinaka added that Inspector Oyibo was killed during the shootout.
The police spokesperson said bodies of the three civilians who were killed by the hoodlums during the attack had been deposited in the morgue.
The deceased civilians were identified as Chika Godliveth and 32-year-old Onyenaturuchi Jonah, both males and indigenes of the state, while the third civilian was given as Enobong Godsgift Clement, an 18-year-old female from Akwa Ibom State.
The police spokesperson assured the public that the police had begun an investigation to track down the fleeing gunmen.
Chinaka enjoined residents to report to the police any suspicious movement or individuals seen with bullet wounds around their neighbourhood, while advising them to go about their lawful businesses without fear as security agencies “have been deployed to strategic locations in the state to ensure the protection of lives and property.”
Source: Premium Times
