Gunmen killed two police officers from the Enugu State Police Command on Friday night.
The police officers from the Ogui Divisional Headquarters were conducting a stop-and-search along Presidential Road, Enugu when they were attacked by armed men.
The incident occurred at around 9:30 pm.
Following the incident, Governor Peter Mbah has offered a N10 million reward for the capture of the killers.
Mbah pledged that his administration will use all available resources to bring the perpetrators to justice.
He made this statement after a State Security Council meeting at the Government House in Enugu, attended by the state's Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kanayo Uzuegbu; State Director, State Security Services, Theresa Egbunu; Garrison Commander, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu, Brigadier General Murtala Abu; and the State Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Peter Ogar, among others.
Mbah indicated that the Eastward Security Network (ESN), a security outfit of the Indigenous People of Biafra, is the likely culprit based on available security information.
He mentioned that they arrived in multiple SUVs, including a black Lexus SUV.
He urged the public to remain vigilant, report any sightings or evidence related to the criminals to the security agencies.
Mbah stated, "We have just concluded our Security Council meeting, where we discussed the brutal killing of our policemen—officers of the Enugu State Police Command—by individuals believed to be associated with the ESN.
“Let me emphasize that this savage and ruthless incident will not be tolerated in Enugu State. I have instructed the security agencies to ensure that these criminals have nowhere to hide in Enugu State. We will utilize all necessary means to pursue, arrest, and bring to justice the perpetrators of this dreadful crime.
“We have also offered a N10 million reward for anyone providing valuable information leading to the capture of these criminals.
“Therefore, I encourage members of the public to come forward or contact the police and other security agencies with any useful information that may lead to the apprehension of these criminals.
Mbah promised that his administration would ensure that the sacrifice made by the police officers will not be in vain.
“Those who killed our policemen, or any member of our security agencies, may think they have succeeded in their wicked acts. Let me assure them that we will pursue them with all our might.
“We will utilize all available technology and forces within our authority to locate, apprehend, and defeat them. Enugu State, with the support of the security agencies, will make life uncomfortable for those who do not wish to live in a respectable society,” he declared.
In 2022, the Enugu State Police Command initiated a search for the gunmen responsible for the deaths of five individuals, including three police officers, in the state. https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/manhunt-as-five-policemen-others-killed-in-enugu/
Meanwhile, the Enugu State Police Command, in a statement by the command’s spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said that on May 10, 2024, around 9.30pm, the operatives of the command attached to Ogui Division were attacked by armed hoodlums while conducting a stop-and-search along Presidential Road.
He mentioned that the command believed the hoodlums to be members of IPOB/ESN criminal elements, who were in three SUV jeeps.
“The operatives fired back, causing the hoodlums to flee with various gunshot wounds and leaving behind a recovered Lexus RX 300 jeep with Reg. No. KTU 991 FD.
“However, two of the operatives sustained gunshot injuries in the gun duel and were taken to the hospital for medical treatment,” he mentioned.
Ndukwe stated that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Kanayo Uzuegbu, had instructed a heavy deployment of the command’s operational, tactical, and intelligence resources to continue the ongoing operations to pursue and apprehend the criminal elements.
