Gunmen attacked a stop-and-search checkpoint along the Owerri-Onitsha road in Imo State, resulting in the deaths of four police officers on Monday evening.
According to The PUNCH, an eyewitness from Irete in Owerri West Local Government Area, who craved anonymity described the chaos.
“The gunmen stormed one of the popular hotels where the police checkpoint was mounted at Irete around 6:30 pm and shot at the four policemen on a stop-and-search duty, including a Point of Sale operator.
“They also shot dead a female Point Of Sale operator and some pedestrians who were taken unawares and rushed to a nearby hospital. It was horrific. All the people around ran away for fear of being hit by stray bullets,” he recounted.
The eyewitness also noted that this location has previously been targeted, stating, “This road has become a soft spot for them. Last time, they also shot dead several policemen on duty and civilians.”
Another local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, linked the attack to the enforcement of the Monday sit-at-home order in the South-East.
“I didn’t know the Monday sit-at-home is still existing in Imo State. I thought it had been stopped but with what happened today, people will no longer come out on Monday for fear of being killed by gunmen,” the resident stated.
The Imo State Police Spokesman, Henry Okoye, did not respond to a text message requesting comment at the time of this report.
