Gunmen on Saturday night attacked police officers on stop-and-search duty in the Enugu metropolis, resulting in casualties.
The incident occurred around 9 p.m. at Osondu Bus Stop on Zik Avenue, Uwani area of Enugu. Sources said the assailants opened fire on a police patrol team stationed in the area.
Two police officers were reportedly killed in the attack. The driver of the patrol vehicle was said to have been shot before the vehicle was set ablaze, while another officer was killed during a gun duel that followed.
A video of the incident, which circulated on social media on Sunday, showed the police patrol van engulfed in flames.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the Enugu State Police Command proved unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, neither answered calls nor responded to text messages as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the death of a 19-year-old, Nnamdi Chidi, in Agunese Mmaku community, Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, has generated sharply conflicting accounts from family members, community sources, and police authorities, prompting the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) to call for an independent investigation.
One account, presented by Onuseluogu Birinus Nevobasi, links Chidi’s death to a violent reprisal following a police operation. According to this version, officers from the Force Intelligence Department (FID), Abuja, led by Jonathan Azubike Onuoha, had arrested Emmanuel Okeke during an investigation. It is alleged that Emmanuel’s younger brother, Ifeanyi Okeke, threatened retaliation if his brother was not released.
The narrative further claims that the officer’s family home was attacked in the early hours of May 6, 2025, resulting in property damage and injuries to residents, including Onuoha’s elder sister and her children. Chidi, who was said to be her son, allegedly died on May 8 at Beacon Hospital, Awgu, from injuries sustained during the attack.
According to this account, the Awgu Police Division initially took custody of the deceased and commenced investigations before the case was transferred to the Homicide Department of the Enugu State Police Command. An autopsy reportedly indicated a prima facie case of murder, leading the Force Headquarters Homicide Unit to take over the investigation, arrest a key suspect, and recommend prosecution.
Nevobasi and other advocates further allege that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit later intervened by withdrawing the case file and filing counter-allegations of cyberbullying and character assassination against those alleging murder.
However, a counter-narrative put forward by Vincent Okafor and supported by the IGP Monitoring Unit strongly disputes the murder claims.
The Monitoring Unit, citing a video statement by Chidi’s mother, Augustina Ogbaja Onuoha, insists that no assault took place and that the teenager died from natural causes linked to an existing medical condition.
It added that its engagement in the matter was aimed at ensuring the integrity of the investigation, describing the murder allegations as false and intended to malign innocent individuals. The unit also claimed that those advancing the homicide narrative declined to cooperate with its inquiry and instead sought court orders to restrict police questioning.
