9 Gunmen Attack Checkpoint in Onitsha, One Policeman Killed, One Injured

Tuesday’s bloody attack on three police­men by hoodlums suspected to be armed robbers sent panic into the state primed as most secured in the federa­tion.

The victim identified as Sergeant Mathew Julius was standing beside their vehicle when the robbers shot him and the other policeman. Matthew died instantly, while the other, Sergeant David Alex, who was shot on the leg took cover in the drainage until the robbers left.

The attack which came unexpectedly at about 8:30pm under the fly-over at New Auto Spare Parts Market, Nkpor, near Onit­sha, along the Enugu/Onit­sha Expressway, claimed the life of a police sergeant, while another officer sustained a gunshot wound.

It was learnt that the gang, numbering about nine, were operating on motor­cycles, even as they suddenly opened fire on the police­men keeping surveillance under the fly-over, killing the police sergeant instantly, carting away his AK 47 rifle and inflicting bullet wound on his colleague.

According to the source, the robbers had on arrival at the scene, positioned themselves at strategic places without the knowledge of the policemen who were stationed on the sand bags packed within the vicin­ity, before they eventually launched the offensive on them.

It was claimed that the police team attacked by the robbers was on an illegal duty at Nkpor, as the team was said to have been of­ficially assigned to Ukpo in Dunukofia LGA of the state.

The Divisional Police Officer at Ogidi Police Di­vision, Hassan Musa, the body of the deceased po­liceman had been deposited at a nearby hospital, while his injured colleague was rushed to St Charles Bor­romeo Catholic Mission Hospital, Onitsha where he is currently receiving medi­cal attention.

Source: BreakingTimes