Although the command didn’t disclose the identity of the civilian involved, it was gathered he was a businessman who ran a car tracking company in Enugu. The spokesman for the police command, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, who announced the killing of the trio in a statement in Awka, on Saturday, said the victims were killed after they were abducted while on a mission to recover a stolen vehicle. Ikenga said the incident happened on Friday, July 15, 2022.
He said immediately after the incident, the command launched a counter-attack during which it uncovered that the two policemen and the civilian had been killed and their bodies set ablaze.
The statement read in part, “The police team was on a recovery operation of a Toyota Sienna Space Wagon vehicle earlier snatched at gunpoint on July 9, at Oye-Agu Abagana community.
“Four of the police operatives escaped the ambush, while two of the police operatives and the car ‘tracker’ were captured by the criminals.
“During the counter-offensive operation, police neutralised some of the armed men and destroyed three of their camps.”
It added, “Unfortunately, some of the hoodlums escaped with bullet wounds, haven (sic) already murdered their captives and set their bodies ablaze.
“The remains of the two murdered police officers and the civilian ‘tracker’ have been recovered and deposited in a morgue, while police operation is still ongoing in the area to track the fleeing gang members,” he said.
The command spokesman also said they recovered one human skull, and two locally made Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs).
Other items recovered were one single-barrelled gun, bandolier (a pocketed belt for holding either individual bullets, or belts of ammunition), one Toyota Sienna, one Mercedes Benz Formatic SUV, and two cylinders.
He further stated that the team also recovered a huge quantity of hard drugs of different kinds, and one police beret and belt.
The statement quoted the Commissioner of Police, (CP) Echeng Echeng as offering his condolences to the families of the murdered civilian and police operatives.
He also vowed to flush out criminals in the state.
