They were on duty when a heavy downpour started so they retreated to a pavilion by Okigwe junction to take shelter, then, mayhem.
30 gunmen appeared from nowhere and descended on them, shooting, matcheting and hitting, killing one inspector, Princewill Divine instandly, cut off the wrist of another, and inflicted varying degrees of injuries on others before disappearing into thin air.
The attack has left fears in town, and in police circles in Abia, where the incident happened September 7.
Mrs Janet Agbede, the Abia state’s Commissioner of Police who provide the background to the sordid attacks, said the police has spread its nets to nab the culprits, while appealing to the public for help in reporting suspicious individuals.
Agbede who was briefing journalists in Umuahia on Friday, said the team were of Police Mobile Force personnel attached to 28 and 55 squadrons in the command.
According to her, about 30 yet-to-be identified gunmen carried out the attack at a bus stop pavilion located at the nipping point where the uniformed men were taking shelter during heavy rainfall.
“The criminals, armed with guns, machetes and other dangerous weapons unexpectedly shot at the policemen and cruelly used machetes on the policemen who in-turn retaliated.
“One of the policemen, Inspector Princewill Divine died instantly, another had his wrist cut off while others were left with varying degrees of injury.”
The fleeing gun men then carted away carted away three AK47 rifles with some ammunition.
The police had since swooped into action, she said, netting four suspects, whom she said were helping theim in their investigations.
The CP appealed to medical and trado-medical practioners within and outside the state to report any person seen or presented with bullet wound(s) to the police or any nearest security agency.
READ ALSO: http://EFFC Arraigns Banker Over Signature Forgery, N80m FraudShe said she had already, personally visited the scene, the victims and the neighbouring communities, also appealed to all hospitals and the general public to report suspicious persons.
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5 comments
May God help this Country. What about the community police?
Nigeria is ripe for disintegration fulaniheardsmen are in everywhere in south to claim the ownership of Nigeria.in the interest of peace Buhari should let go any part of the country that has ambitions of cessation
The Nigerian police is shameless. Most of the time I wonder if the people being recruited as our security agents are ever trained in basic security talk more of armed security. How can you convince a layman that thirty hoodlums attacked armed policemen and killed one, cut off the wrist of another yet the police still engaged them in a gun battle, please tell that to the winds. The Nigerian police is a total failure and requires urgent rebranding rejigging. In this country we have capable hands and brains that can give the job what it takes if only we can jettison this shananigans of discrimination inherent I the recruitment process
This crime smells like the Fulani Terroists group.
Police should be sincere to themselves. You harbour criminals and victimise the innocent . They the criminals don’t know any body, they are friends of no body . They turn back to you when they need gun. Just asking, why do Nigeria brith more criminals than the security agents.