Follow Us on Google
From Felix Ikem, Nsukka
Unknown gunmen on Friday morning attacked two police checkpoints in different locations in Nsukka, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, killing one officer and setting one patrol vehicles ablaze.
Saturday Sun gathered that the policeman who was attached to the Nsukka Urban Police Division was killed at Umanu junction, while the police patrol vehicle was burnt at Ibagwa-Ani road areas of the local government the same day.
An eyewitness in Umanu junction who pleaded anonymity told our reporter that they started hearing gun shot sounds from the juction around 6am without knowing what was happening.
“It was around 6 a.m. that we started hearing sporadic gunshots coming from Umanu junction without knowing was the problem.
“We waited for some minutes before someone ran into our compound and told us that some gunmen are attacking policemen at their checkpoint in Umanu junction,” he said.
He said after some minutes that the gun shots stopped they rushed to the junction only to see a lifeless policeman on the ground.
“We were told that the policeman was killed during gun dual between police team at the check point and the gunmen,” he said.
A trader who witnessed the
Ibeagwa-Ani road attack were police one van was set ablaze and gave his name simply as Ejike confirmed that the police vehicle was burnt by gunmen.
He said he was in a commercial bus going to Nkwo Ibeagwa-Ani Local Market when their driver sighted police patrol van on fire with about five masked armed men around it.
“Our driver quickly turned back and drove to a safer distance where we watched from untill the gunmen zoomed off shooting on air.
“When we reached the scene the police patrol vehicle was already burnt beyond recognition.
“We suspected that the policemen on duty might have abandoned their vehicle and scampered for safety on sighting the dreaded gunmen,” he said.
When contracted, Mr Daniel Ndukwe the Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO) in Enugu State confirmed the incident.
“Yes, there was an attack on Police operatives in Nsukka today.
“But the details are still sketchy. I will communicate you once I get details, please,” he said.
Our reporter also gathered that activities of gunmen in some parts of Nsukka zone in recent time has been on the increase. A week ago the ugly situation prompted the state government to impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Igbo-Eze North and Igbo-Eze South Local Government Areas of the state, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. a measure set to sterm the tide.
