By Chidi Nkwopara
An unidentified gunman was neutralized yesterday, at Umulolo, Okigwe local council area of Imo State, by policemen, who were on their way from Abuja to Port Harcourt.
Two policemen reportedly sustained varying degrees of injury in the fierce encounter, while vehicular movement on the busy highway was stalled for hours.
Confirming the incident in a telephone interview yesterday, the Imo State Police Command’s image maker, Mr. Henry Okoye, said that arms and ammunition were recovered from the gunman.
His words: “A team of police Special Intervention Squad, who were traveling from Abuja to Port Harcourt, unsuspectingly, ran into an ambush laid by a gang of terrorists, suspected to be members of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and Eastern Security Network, ESN, at Umulolo, Okigwe.
“The policemen promptly manoeuvred into strategic positions and engaged the terrorists in a fierce gun battle.
“One of the suspected terrorists was neutralized, while others fled into the nearby bushes with varying degrees of injuries.
“An AK-47 rifle with breach number 533064, three magazines and 28 rounds of live ammunition and charms were recovered from the dead terrorist.
“The Command’s practical team has been fully mobilized to the scene of the crime. They are currently at Umulolo, carrying out an intense combing of the area, where we hope to arrest or recover bodies of the fleeing members of the terrorist gang.
“Two of our personnel sustained gunshot injuries, and they have been taken to the hospital for medical attention. No police arm was lost in the encounter.
“No road user was harmed during the encounter, which happened at about 09.00hrs today (yesterday).
“The recovered corpse of the hoodlum has been deposited in the hospital morgue and the Commissioner of Police, CP., Aboki Danjuma, has vowed to go after the fleeing hoodlums, with a view to arresting and making them face the full weight of the law.”
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