Armed internet fraudsters fatally shot an officer after opening fire on a team of anti-graft operatives in Anambra on Friday, Peoples Gazette can report. 

The officers were on a mission to corner a cluster of suspected cybercriminals, widely known as Yahoo Boys, when they were met with lethal violence on Friday morning, The Gazette learnt. 

One officer was shot dead on the spot and another sustained serious injuries and remained hospitalised in critical condition as of Friday night, The Gazette heard. 

The officers had travelled to Anambra on the assignment from their zonal headquarters in Enugu.

A male suspect has been taken into custody for the murder, an official said. His identity was not immediately disclosed, and whether he had contacted a lawyer remained unclear.

A spokesman for the EFCC said he would find out about the incident when reached by The Gazette. A police spokesman in Anambra did not immediately comment. 

The attack came as chairman Ola Olukoyede was recalibrating the agency’s protocol on raiding white-collar criminals. Yahoo Boys were hitherto largely known to be unarmed and, therefore, easily to take into custody.

The deceased officer was identified as an assistant superintendent who had recently completed a promotional examination. The Gazette has withheld his identity to allow time for his family to be officially notified. 

Anti-graft agents expressed apprehension over the development, with some telling The Gazette the agency’s personnel insurance had been moribund for years.

“We no longer have life insurance,” an officer said under anonymity to discuss internal administrative policies. “The last time family members of an officer who died on duty were compensated was under Farida Waziri.” 

“So the families of the officer that died today won’t be getting anything,” another officer added. “So can we say he died for nothing?”