Two police officers were killed on Thursday morning when unknown gunmen attacked a patrol van at Okigwe in Imo State.
The officers, who were on routine patrol, were ambushed at about 6:30 a.m. on December 19, 2024, near Umuluole Junction along the Okigwe/Umuahia expressway.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that the assailants, numbering over 25, launched the attack using General-Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG) and assault rifles. A fierce gunfight ensued, during which Inspector Simon Ogbonna and Inspector Isonh Osudi lost their lives. The attackers also set the police patrol van ablaze before fleeing with three AK-47 rifles.
In response, the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, CP Aboki Danjuma, immediately mobilized tactical commanders and military personnel to the scene. The police have intensified efforts to apprehend the perpetrators and recover the stolen weapons.
Investigations are ongoing, and the public is urged to provide any information that may assist in tracking down the attackers.
