Tragedy struck in Okigwe, Imo State, on Sunday as unidentified gunmen attacked and killed two police officers on patrol duty.

The officers, attached to Mopol 18 Owerri, were reportedly stationed near the old Gariki area when the assailants opened fire on them. While two officers lost their lives in the ambush, sources in the area indicated that others sustained injuries but managed to escape.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Henry Okoye, described the attack as unfortunate and noted that efforts were underway to apprehend the perpetrators.

“The incident that happened in Okigwe is a very unfortunate one,” Okoye stated. “The Commissioner of Police, Imo State, CP Aboki Danjuma, has strongly condemned the attack and gruesome murder of two of our personnel. These officers, attached to Mopol 18 Owerri, were deployed on routine patrol duty.”

Okoye added that the Commissioner, along with the Commander of Mopol 18 and other senior officers, had visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.

“We have deployed tactical teams and charged them to go all out, in synergy with the military, to hunt down the hoodlums responsible for this senseless act of violence,” he said.

The incident has heightened concerns about the security situation in the region, with residents calling for urgent measures to curb the spate of targeted attacks on security personnel. (Vanguard)