Two police officers attached to the Aluu Divisional Police Station in Ikwerre Local Council of Rivers State have been killed after unidentified gunmen attacked a security checkpoint along the Mbodo-Aluu axis of Obiri Ikwerre Road.

The attack, which occurred at about 9:00 p.m., threw the area into panic as the officers were reportedly conducting a routine stop-and-search operation when they came under fire.

A video circulating on social media showed the lifeless bodies of the officers, still in their uniforms, lying in pools of blood at the scene.

A visit to the area yesterday revealed that residents and business owners declined to comment on the incident, apparently out of fear. The motive for the attack had yet to be established.

The killings have heightened concerns over the safety of security personnel and the growing threat posed by armed criminals operating in parts of the state.

The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, visited the scene alongside members of the command’s management team for an on-the-spot assessment.

Confirming the incident, the command’s spokesperson, ASP Blessing Agabe, said an official statement would be issued.

Meanwhile, the Delta State Police Command said it arrested 85 suspected criminals, rescued 18 kidnapped victims and recovered 32 firearms, large quantities of ammunition and illicit drugs between April 29 and yesterday.

Addressing journalists in Asaba, the Commissioner of Police, Yemi Oyeniyi, said intensified security operations had yielded significant breakthroughs against armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, murder, drug trafficking and other violent crimes.

According to him, four suspected kidnappers were arrested during the period under review, while 18 abducted victims were rescued. He added that five murder suspects were also apprehended.

The command also recorded major gains in its campaign against cultism, arresting 76 suspected cultists. Of the number, 46 have been charged to court, while investigations are continuing on the remaining 30 suspects.

In the area of drug enforcement, seven suspects were arrested for drug-related offences, with five already prosecuted.

Oyeniyi said operatives recovered three AK-47 rifles, four pump-action guns, two Beretta pistols, two locally made revolver pistols, three locally made cut-to-size firearms, 17 locally made single-barrel guns and one locally made double-barrel pistol, bringing the total number of firearms recovered to 32.

He added that the operatives also recovered 197 rounds of live AK-47 ammunition and 219 live cartridges, alongside several dangerous drugs and controlled substances, including Tramadol, CSC Codeine, Rohypnol, Swinol, MDMA (Molly), Canadian Loud, Indian hemp (cannabis), Monkey Tail, nitrous oxide (laughing gas), Tianeptine (Zaza) and the psychoactive chewing gum popularly known as “Highness Gum”.

The commissioner attributed the command’s achievements to the strategic deployment of personnel and operational assets, sustained raids on criminal hideouts, enhanced stop-and-search operations and improved intelligence gathering.

He assured residents that the Delta State Police Command would sustain its intelligence-driven policing strategy to rid the state of criminal elements and improve public safety.