Two police officers assigned to Hon. Ginger Onwusibe, a member of the House of Representatives for Isiala-Ngwa North/South Constituency, were ambushed by armed assailants while on official duty in Umuahia on Sunday evening.
The attack, which occurred around 8:30 pm, resulted in the death of one officer, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds, while the other officer and the driver managed to escape.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Maureen Chinaka, confirmed the incident in a statement shared with Channels Television on Monday.
She assured that the Abia State Police Command is fully committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice.
The statement read, “On 17/11/2024, at about 20:30hrs, two police officers from the Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base 4, Makurdi – Inspector Dunna Jatau and Inspector Bala Mohammed, assigned to Honorable Ginger Onwusibe, were ambushed by armed assailants while on official duty in Umuahia.
The officers were in a Police Toyota Hilux vehicle after accompanying the Honorable to Umuahia.
On their way back, near the Umuahia South Local Government Area Secretariat in Ubakala, their vehicle was intercepted by armed men dressed in black attire, operating a Toyota Corolla with tinted windows.
The assailants blocked the police vehicle’s path and opened fire.
Tragically, Inspector Bala Mohammed sustained multiple gunshot wounds and died at the scene.
Inspector Dunna Jatau and the driver escaped the attack.”
In response, officers immediately began a combing operation of the area, launching a comprehensive search to locate the attackers.
Tactical teams have also been deployed to track down the fleeing suspects, and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
“The Abia State Police Command is committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice.
We urge the public to remain calm, stay vigilant, and report any suspicious persons or vehicles to the nearest police station,” the statement added.
This marks the second attack on security operatives in Abia State in just one week.
A few days earlier, unidentified gunmen killed two soldiers attached to the Joint Task Force South-East Operation UDO KA along the Umuahia–Owerri Road in Umuahia South Local Government Area.
The military has attributed the attack to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
In May, a similar attack on a military checkpoint in Abia State claimed the lives of five soldiers in Aba.
