WATCH VIDEO: Gunmen Kill Two Police Officers at Imo State Checkpoint

 In a tragic incident, gunmen killed two police officers at a security checkpoint in Akabo, Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State in the early hours of Tuesday, June 11, 2024. The attack occurred during a routine stop-and-search operation.

Eyewitnesses reported that the gunmen also shot and killed a passerby at a checkpoint near Ama-John junction, Akabo.

"There was panic this morning around 6:00 AM in the Akabo (Ama-John) area along the Owerri-Okigwe-Enugu road when gunmen killed two policemen on duty and a passerby," an eyewitness recounted. "The armed men arrived in a Sienna bus and sped off after the shooting."

ASP Henry Okoye, the spokesperson for the Imo State Police Command, confirmed the incident.

"The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Aboki Danjuma, has deployed the Command’s Special Tactical Squad with operational resources and intelligence to collaborate with other security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators of this unprovoked attack," he said.

"The tragic incident, which occurred early Tuesday, was carried out by suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN). The attackers, numbering several, fired sporadically at the officers conducting the stop-and-search. The officers fought bravely, but unfortunately, two personnel and a civilian were fatally hit.

"In response, CP Aboki Danjuma, along with the DC Operations, led police operatives to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment. An intense operation is underway to apprehend and prosecute the fleeing culprits responsible for this senseless act of violence.

"The Commissioner of Police has established a high-powered investigation team tasked with conducting a comprehensive inquiry to identify the attackers. The bodies of the deceased officers and the civilian have been recovered and placed in a mortuary for preservation.