Fleeing gunmen have killed an Inspector of police in Imo State identified as Augustine Ukegbu.

Ukegbu was killed at his village at Umuoshike Ogbor in the Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of the state when he went home to celebrate Easter with his family, several police sources confided in our correspondent.

One of the sources, who doesn’t want to be mentioned because he does not have the official clearance to speak on the matter, told our correspondent that the inspector was kidnapped from his house upon his arrival from his base in Owerri and was later found dead in a bush along Mbutu in the Aboh Mbaise LGA.

The source said, “Inspector Augustine Ukegbu who was serving at Orji police divisional headquarters went home to celebrate Easter with his family at Aboh Mbaise. Around 11 pm, on April 8, some gunmen riding in a Lexus jeep came and kidnapped him from his house in the village.

“The abduction was reported at Oke Ovoro police Division. The jeep he was kidnapped with was later found abandoned along the Mbutu Road in Aboh Mbaise. Policemen visited the scene and the surrounding bush was searched and the inspector’s corpse was found.”

The source said that the inspector’s corpse had been deposited in a mortuary in the area by some police operatives and the Lexus jeep he was kidnapped in was recovered by his colleagues.

Another source, who was embittered by the killing of the cop, said that he saw the slain inspector in Owerri the day he was travelling to the village.

He said, “I saw Inspector Augustine in Owerri and he told me he was travelling to celebrate Easter with his family at Mbaise. We exchange pleasantries and I wished him journey mercy. He was serving at Orji police divisional and had served at the headquarters in Owerri. He was an operative of SWAT ( Special Weapons and Tactics) Department. I am saddened by his death.

The spokesperson for the police in the state, Henry Okoye, said that the command had commenced an investigation into the kidnap and killing of the Inspector. (text, excluding headline: The PUNCH)

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