“Many of us ran away when we heard the gunmen firing shots. We returned and saw three bodies of the policemen,” a witness said.
Three police officers were on Saturday killed when gunmen attacked a police checkpoint in Agbani, a community in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria’s South-east.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the gunmen stormed the checkpoint at about 8 a.m. and opened fire on police officers on duty, killing three of them at the spot.
The police checkpoint is close to Agbani Divisional Police Headquarters.
A resident of the area, who identified himself simply as Ifeanyi, told PREMIUM TIMES how the attack occurred.
“The policemen were busy collecting money from Okada people and bus drivers when the unknown gunmen attacked them. It was so sudden.
“Many of us ran away when we heard the gunmen firing shots. We returned and saw three bodies of the policemen,” he said.
A video clip apparently shot after the attack has been circulating on social media.
In the clip, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, two bodies of the officers were lying on the ground along a major road. One other body was seen in front of Agbani Divisional Police Headquarters.
“Unknown gunmen killed policemen now. One of them escaped, but three were killed. See their corpses here,” a voice was heard in the background of the video clip.
The police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, did not respond to calls and a WhatsApp message seeking comments from him about the attack.
Increased attacks
Enugu, like other states in Nigeria’s South-east, has witnessed an increase in deadly attacks lately.
The latest incident comes barely three weeks after gunmen abducted some returning university students and other travellers in Ekwegbe, a community in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of the state.
In October, gunmen attacked an army checkpoint in Amodu Awkunanaw, a community in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State. Two persons were feared killed in the attack.
Earlier in October, two persons, including a police officer, were killed when gunmen attacked Inyi Police Divisional Headquarters in Oji River Local Government Area of the state.
Gunmen, in September, killed the wife of a leader of a local vigilante operative in Umuopu, Enugu-Ezike, a community in the Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of the state.
Days after, gunmen also killed three police officers at New Haven, Enugu North Local Government Area of the state.
Earlier in September, gunmen attacked members of the Labour Party (LP) who were holding a meeting in Awgu Community, Awgu Local Government Area of the state.
Some LP members were also attacked on 31 August by gunmen in Nenwe, a community in the Aninri Local Government Area of the state.
Gunmen, in June, attacked a police checkpoint along Agbani Road in Enugu South Local Government Area of the state. Two officers were feared killed in the attack.
A police officer was killed in mid-June by gunmen who attacked a police checkpoint in Ibagwa-Ani, a community in Nsukka Local Government Area of the state.
Two police officers were also killed on 2 June when gunmen attacked Mkpamte Community in the Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of the state.
The attacks, mostly targeted at security officials and government facilities, have been attributed to the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra which is agitating for a sovereign state for the Igbo-speaking people in the South-east.