Policeman Killed in Shootout in Ebonyi with Gunmen

In Ebonyi State, a shootout between security personnel and gunmen resulted in the death of a police officer.

At the Union Bank roundabout in Abakaliki, State Police Command officials were performing a stop and search when the event occurred on Monday night.

Onome Onovwakpoyeya, the state’s police public relations officer, revealed this in a statement on Wednesday.

A police superintendent named Onovwakpoyeya reported that two further agents were hurt and are being treated in a hospital.

He continued by saying that the criminals’ side had also suffered losses, although he did not say how many of the gunmen had died or been hurt.

According to the statement, “On May 22, 2023 at approximately 2030 hours, the Operatives of the Command on Stop and Search duty at Union Bank Roundabout, the area where banks are concentrated in the State Capital, engaged in a shootout with heavily armed hoodlums, whose mission was unknown in the area.”

“Unfortunately, one of the Operatives paid the ultimate price, while two others were hurt and are now undergoing medical attention. The thugs also reported casualties but were apprehended.

The Commissioner of Police, Faleye Olayele, is requesting residents of Ebonyi State to report anyone they see with a gunshot wound or asking for treatment for one, according to the police spokesman.

The police commissioner issued a calm request, stating that precautions have been taken to protect citizen lives and property and that the Command will not stop working until the offenders are apprehended.

One of the South-East states afflicted by the gunmen that terrorize the area is Ebonyi.

Abia, Imo, Enugu, and Anambra State are additional states. However, it is unclear if Monday’s attack was carried out by armed robbers or members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group that is banned.