Ebonyi assistant police commissioner slumps and dies during meeting

From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki

An Assistant Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State, Ogbon-Inu Taiwo Popoola, has slumped and died in service in the state.

The incident occurred at about 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday during a management meeting at the Commissioner of Police’s office in Abakaliki, the state capital.

The late ACP Popoola was in charge of the State Intelligence Department (SID) until his sudden death.

Sources said he suddenly developed breathing difficulty and began gasping for breath during the meeting.

He was immediately rushed to the Police Medical Centre at the Police Headquarters, Abakaliki, where he was promptly attended to by the command’s medical personnel.

Despite efforts to resuscitate him, the officer was confirmed dead by medical doctors.

Preliminary medical findings indicated that the death was due to cardiac arrest, secondary to hypertensive heart disease.

The remains of the deceased have been deposited at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital (AE-FUTHA 1) mortuary in Abakaliki.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the death of ACP Popoola on Thursday.

He said: “yes, one of he had a crisis during a meeting and was rushed to hospital. Unfortunately he didn’t survive.

“He was not sick before the incident. If he was sick he wouldn’t have attended the meeting”, he added.

Mr Ukandu described the late ACP Popoola as a dedicated officer who served the Force with commitment and professionalism.

He conveyed the condolences of the Police Commissioner and the entire Police Command in the state to the late police officer’s family.