Two policemen were on Thursday shot dead by gunmen who attacked a police checkpoint at MTD Junction, Garriki, Akwuke, in the Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Sources said the shooting prompted residents to run helter-skelter.
In a text message sent to our correspondent, a source said, “There is shooting at Gariki, MTD area and two policemen and some other persons have been killed.”
The attackers reportedly struck at the checkpoint around 9.10am.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, said the command’s tactical squad and other operatives were already on the trail of the hoodlums.
Ndukwe said, “There was an attack on policemen on stop and search this morning along Agbani Road, close to Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway, by yet-to-be-identified hoodlums.
“However, details of the incident are still sketchy, while the command’s tactical/operational operatives have been mobilised and are on the trail of the miscreants. Further development will be communicated, please.”
In another development, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Friday Eboka, has ordered a mass deployment of operatives to Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state in order to fish out criminals who ambushed and killed a police officer.
The CP gave the order in a statement on Thursday signed by the spokesman for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko.
“This is coming on the heels of the gruesome murder of an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Chris Josiah, attached to the Afam Divisional Police Headquarters on June 28, 2022, while returning home after work.
“The deceased officer was ambushed by five yet-to-be-identified masked men, who opened fire on the officer along the Assemblies of God Church, Obeama, Oyigbo, and shot him dead inside his Lexus RX 300 SUV,” the statement added.
