A police inspector from Ndiegoro Police Station was killed on Tuesday by suspected IPOB/ESN members around Ohanku Road-Iheorji junction in Aba, Abia, said the police.

Two of the attackers were killed by the security operatives in a gun duel.

Police spokesman in Abia, Geoffrey Ogbonna, said the killing happened at about 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Mr Ogbonna said some policemen from Ndiegoro station were on patrol around Iheorji when they came under attack by the attackers.

“During a gun duel, one of the policemen paid the supreme price while two of the gunmen were neutralised. As they shot the policeman they also collected his Police AK-47 rifle,” he said.

A witness said the inspector was killed when he went after one of the hoodlums who was trying to escape.

The witness who gave his name only as Ahanna said the attack happened around noon on Tuesday.

“We were to the market when we saw these boys, who were inside a tricycle with very powerful guns as they passed us. It was not long when they passed by us that some policemen on patrol followed them,” he narrated. “The Policemen engaged them and killed two of them while the others ran away and one ran into the back of a nearby building. The inspector ran after the robber that ran to the back of a nearby building unknown to him that the other robber was waiting for him.”

He added the “robber shot at the inspector at close range and killed him on the spot.”

Mr Ogbonna said the police were on the trail of the gunmen who escaped and urged residents to volunteer credible information that would help in their arrest. 

(NAN)