A tragic incident occurred on Monday evening when gunmen ambushed and killed four police officers at a stop-and-search checkpoint along the Owerri-Onitsha road in Imo state.
Describing the harrowing experience, an eyewitness from Irete in Owerri West Local Government Area, who preferred to remain anonymous, revealed that the assailants also targeted civilians, although the exact number of casualties remains uncertain due to the chaos.
The witness recounted, “The gunmen launched an attack at a prominent hotel where the police checkpoint was stationed in Irete around 6:30 pm. They indiscriminately fired at the four policemen on duty, as well as a Point of Sale operator.”
“Tragically, they also gunned down a female Point Of Sale operator and several unsuspecting pedestrians who were rushed to a nearby hospital for urgent care. The scene was horrific, causing panic as people scattered to avoid stray bullets.”
“This particular stretch of road has unfortunately become a vulnerable target for such attacks. In a previous incident, a number of police officers and civilians were also fatally shot,” the witness added.
Expressing concern over the security situation, another local resident, who also withheld their identity, suggested that the gunmen may have been enforcing the Monday sit-at-home order in the South-East region.
The resident remarked, “I was under the impression that the Monday sit-at-home directive had ceased in Imo State. However, following today’s tragic events, people are likely to avoid going out on Mondays fearing attacks by armed assailants.”
Efforts to obtain an official statement from the Imo State Police Spokesman, Henry Okoye, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to inquiries sent via text message at the time of compiling this report.