GUNMEN reportedly killed five policemen and a couple at the Okpala Junction in Imo State’s Ngor Okpala Local Government Area on Friday, April 21.
The couple, Mr and Mrs Chinaka Nwagu, were from the Amankwo Okpala community, according to Punch Newspaper.
A source identified as Uche said the couple and the dead officers travelled from the adjoining Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area to eat at the junction before they met their death.
READ ALSO:
Policemen attached to Kano musician, Rarara, arrested for misconduct
Two policemen killed as Army, Police clash in Taraba
Insecurity: Gunmen kill three policemen at checkpoint in Enugu
Gunmen attack Ifeanyi Ubah’s convoy, policemen feared killed
He claimed that armed men showed up while the victims were eating and opened fire on them.
According to the witness who spoke to Punch Newspaper, three police officers were killed at the spot; two fled to a nearby location but were chased and killed, along with a couple who owned the shop they ran into.
The witness added that the attackers took away the guns of the slain policemen.
“As they were eating, gunmen drove to the place and opened fire on them. Two out of the five policemen ran to a nearby shop where a couple sold meat pie and sachet water. After killing the three policemen, they went two the shop where the two other officers were hiding and killed them. They also killed the husband and wife that owned the shop.
“They took away their rifles and drove off. This is so unfortunate. Our community is bleeding. Everybody is confused. The couple just relocated from Lagos about one year ago. We just deposited their bodies in a mortuary. The market is shut. People here ran away out of shock and fear. This is unbelievable,” the witness said.
Attempts to speak to the spokesperson for the police in the state, Henry Okoye, were unsuccessful as he did not pick up his call. Also, he did not respond to messages sent to his phone.
In another development, the Lagos State Police Command has arraigned two men caught with a murdered woman’s phone.
The suspects, Nurudeen Shotade and Abdullahi Abubakar, were brought before a Magistrates’ Court sitting in Yaba, Lagos State, presided by Magistrate A. O. Salawu on Thursday on two counts bordering on stealing and unlawful possession of stolen items.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance