On Monday evening, gunmen carried out a deadly attack, killing four police officers stationed at a stop-and-search checkpoint on the Owerri-Onitsha road in Imo State. The incident took place near a popular hotel in Irete, a town in the Owerri West Local Government Area, around 6:30 p.m. According to an eyewitness from the area, who requested to remain anonymous, the chaos and fear during the attack made it difficult for him and others to determine the exact number of civilians who were also harmed.
The eyewitness described how the gunmen stormed the checkpoint, which was set up to monitor traffic and enforce security. They targeted the four policemen working there, as well as a Point of Sale (PoS) operator who was present at the location. In the violence that ensued, the gunmen also shot and killed a female PoS operator and several pedestrians who were caught off guard. These victims were quickly rushed to a nearby hospital, but the situation was described as horrific. Many people in the vicinity fled the scene, terrified of being struck by stray bullets.
The road where this attack occurred has previously been targeted by gunmen. This is not the first time that gunmen have used this area to launch violent assaults, with previous incidents involving the deaths of both police officers and civilians. The repeated violence in this area has raised concerns about the safety of those who live and travel there.
Another local resident, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, suggested that the gunmen were enforcing the Monday sit-at-home order that has been intermittently observed in the South-East region. This order, which is meant to enforce a day of inactivity, seems to have continued despite previous indications that it had ended. The recent attack has heightened fears among residents, leading them to avoid going out on Mondays due to the threat of violence from gunmen.
In response to the attack, there have been calls for increased security measures in the affected areas to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. The government is urged to enhance its security efforts to protect both the police and civilians from further attacks.
Efforts to reach the Imo State Police Spokesman, Henry Okoye, for an official comment on the incident were unsuccessful, as he had not responded to the text messages sent by the time this report was prepared.