Robbers slay four in Owerri after IGP’s visit

• Armed men kill two policemen in Onitsha
Barely 24 hours after the Inspector-General of Police, Idris Ibrahim, concluded his two-day working visit to Imo State at the weekend, armed robbers stormed the city of Owerri, capital of Imo, embarking on a robbing spree, leaving about four persons dead.

One of the deceased is a secondary school student, who was watching the scene.

The bandits, who wore hoods and were shooting sporadically into the air, also robbed some supermarkets in the city, leaving everyone scampering for safety.

When contacted, the state command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Andrew Enwerem, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said he was yet to be informed about the incident. He promised to get the details available to The Guardian. This was still expected as at press time yesterday.

Meanwhile, two armed men who have been terrorising Onitsha and its environs, yesterday killed two policemen and escaped with one AK47 rifle.

An eyewitness said the armed men, who rode on a motorcycle, took the policemen unaware and shot them at close range near Tracas junction, Upper Iweka axis of Awada near Onitsha.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said one of the policemen, an inspector, was rushed to Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi but later died. According to the source, the other police officer, a sergeant, died on the spot.

The deceased officers were on patrol when they met their untimely death. The incident forced people around the area to close their shops.

When contacted, the Police Area Commander, Onitsha, Mr. Yahaya Abubakar, who confirmed the incident, said he could not speak on the matter because it occurred at Awada, an area outside his command.

Efforts to get further details of the incident from Mrs. Nkeiru Nwode, the state Police Public Relations Officer, were not successful. The attack is the fourth of such attack in Onitsha and its environs on police officers since January.