IGARRA- Three mobile policemen were on Thursday morning killed just as the fourth one was seriously injured when gunmen opened fire on them at their duty post along the Igarra-Auchi Road in Edo State.
It was gathered that One of the assailants died of gunshots while another who sustained gunshot wounds was taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment and possibly interrogation as six rifles were reportedly recovered from them.
Nigerian Tribune learned that the incident happened between 5:30 am and 6:00 am close to the popular Agor market where the mobile policemen usually mount roadblocks.
It was scooped further that the police established the checkpoint to tame the activities of kidnappers in the area.
It was gathered that while the policemen were driving in their car, another of their colleagues was riding on a motorbike following the vehicle when the assailants who laid ambush opened fire on them.
The police officer on the bike was said to have engaged the assailants who fled into the bush with the four rifles of the policemen after killing them.
Men of the vigilante were said to have been called for reinforcement who later combed the bush and traced the assailants to their hideout, where four police rifles and another two belonging to the attackers were recovered.
Narrating the incident, the head of the vigilante group in the area, Ibukun Dogo, said “I got a call from the D.P.O. around 6 am that his men were attacked and we quickly mobilized to the place and saw the lifeless bodies of the three officers.
“We saw blood markings on the ground into the bush and we trailed those blood stains to a hideout of the suspects where we met two of them with gunshot injuries, one died from the gunshots while the other was taken away by the police to the hospital.
“We recovered the four police rifles and an additional two in the area we found them. The suspect said they are from Okenne in Kogi state but we don’t know their mission whether it is armed robbery or kidnapping they wanted to use the arms and ammunition for.”
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Edo state, Chidi Nwabuzor, said the Command was yet to get the details of what happened.
