A horrifying incident unfolded on Monday evening when gunmen attacked a stop and search checkpoint along Owerri-Onitsha road in Imo state, resulting in the tragic deaths of four police officers.
An eyewitness, a resident of Irete in Owerri-west Local Government Area, shared the harrowing experience of not being able to determine the number of civilians who also fell victim to the attack.
According to the witness, the gunmen launched their assault around 6:30 pm at a popular hotel where the police checkpoint was stationed in Irete. They mercilessly shot at the officers manning the stop and search post, as well as a Point of Sale operator.
Innocent bystanders, including a female Point of Sale operator and pedestrians, were caught off guard and also became targets of the gunmen. They were swiftly taken to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention, amid scenes of chaos and panic as people fled to avoid getting hit by stray bullets.
This incident is not the first on this particular road, as previously, several police officers and civilians fell victim to similar attacks.
Concerned residents are calling for increased security measures in the area to prevent further tragedies like this from occurring.
Another local resident, speaking anonymously, mentioned that the attackers were enforcing a Monday sit-at-home directive.
Expressing surprise at the continued existence of the sit-at-home order in Imo state, the resident noted that this recent violence may deter people from venturing out on Mondays due to the heightened risk of being targeted by gunmen.
Despite attempts to reach the Imo State Police Spokesman, Henry Okoye, for comment, no response had been received at the time of compiling this report.