Two police officers have been killed by gunmen at a security checkpoint in Akabo, Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State.

It was gathered that the gunmen attacked the officers in the early hours of Tuesday, June 11, 2024 during a stop-and-search.

Eyewitness reports said the gunmen also shot dead a passer-by at a checkpoint in Ama-John junction, Akabo.

“There was panic this morning some minutes after 6:am within Akabo (Ama-John) axis along Owerri-Okigwe-Enugu road as a group of gunmen killed two Policemen on duty and a passerby. The armed men drove on the Sienna bus, and they zoomed off after shooting the police officers,” an eyewitness narrated.

The spokesperson of the State Police Command, ASP Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident.

“The Commissioner of Police Imo State Command, CP Aboki Danjuma, has deployed the Command’s Special Tactical Squad and equipped them with the available operational resources and intelligence to go all out in synergy with other security agencies and clamp down on the hoodlums responsible for the unprovoked and unwarranted attack and killing of Police Mobile operatives conducting stop-and-search at Akabo in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State,” he said.

“The tragic incident was perpetrated In the early hours of Tuesday by hoodlums suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate Eastern Security Network (ESN) who attacked the operatives in their numbers firing sporadically. The operatives fought gallantly but unfortunately, two personnel and a civilian were fatally hit

“The lifeless bodies of the affected officers and a civilian have been recovered and deposited in a mortuary for preservation.”