THE Ebonyi State Police Command has confirmed the fatal shooting of a middle-aged bystander by a police officer during an altercation between police officers and a soldier at the Ugwuachara axis of the old Enugu-Ogoja Expressway in the South-East state.
The state police commissioner, Adaku Uche-Anya, said the incident occurred during a routine stop-and-search operation conducted by police officers along the axis.
The altercation began when a soldier riding a motorcycle approached the checkpoint and was signalled to stop by the officers, ultimately leading to the shooting.
Channels Television reported an eyewitness as saying the soldier refused to comply with the police stop-and-search and attempted confiscation of his bike sparked a confrontation with the officers.
Confirming the incident, the police commissioner stated, “He refused, and there was a scuffle. During the scuffle between them, the soldier was trying to disarm one of them, and the bullet went off and hit a bystander.
“It’s not as if they just opened fire on an innocent bystander; it’s just that during the scuffle, the bullet went off and hit a bystander.
“One person died during the process, and three others were injured, but they’re responding to treatment. We’ve confirmed that the purported soldier is actually a soldier; both the soldier and the policeman are in our custody and we’re investigating what happened.”
The special assistant to the Ebonyi State Governor on internal security in Ebonyi Local Government Area, Obinna Mbam, also confirmed the incident and assured that those responsible would face justice.
According to Mbam, the situation is now under control and normalcy has been restored to the area.
Clashes between soldiers and policemen resulting in fatalities are a recurring issue in Nigeria.
Recently, two people lost their lives following a violent confrontation between an Army officer and a police special constabulary at Agyaragu Market in the Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
According to the police spokesperson in the state, Ramhan Nansel, the altercation started with a reported motorcycle theft, prompting an investigation.
He said a suspect was apprehended by a police operative and a police special constabulary attached to the Jenkwe Division.
Nansel added that while en route to the police station, a soldier on leave from Borno State intervened, attempting to prevent the arrest, and the situation escalated as the soldier allegedly brought out a knife and stabbed the police special constabulary.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance