The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday night.

Advertisement

Recall that the gunmen opened fire on the officers who were manning the checkpoint, killing two of them.

The unfortunate incident occurred on Sunday, March 26, 2023, along Kenyatta Market Road, near the Main gate of the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, UNEC.

Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, said the gunmen were many and operated in SUV vehicles during the attack.

Advertisement

The police operatives engaged the hoodlums in a shoot-out during the attack, the police spokesperson said.

“Many of the hoodlums escaped with varying degrees of fatal gunshot injuries in the ensuing gun duel, while two of the operatives, who sustained severe gunshot injuries, were moved to the hospital, where they were confirmed dead and their corpses deposited in the mortuary for preservation,” he said.

“Consequently, manhunt of the assailants, which was immediately launched, resulted in the miscreants abandoning the black-coloured Mercedes Benz ML 350 4Matic Jeep they used for the operation along Enugu/Port-Harcourt Road, Enugu,” Mr Ndukwe added.

The police spokesperson said the vehicle, riddled with gunshots and blood stains, had been recovered.

Advertisement

He added that the recovery of the Mercedes Benz ML 350 4Matic SUV and the blood stains as well as bullet holes on the recovered vehicle corroborate preliminary investigation that at least two of the gunmen were killed during the shoot-out.

The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Ahmed Ammani, has ordered tactical operatives of the police in the state to track down the hoodlums, Mr Ndukwe said.

Mr Ammani warned that “anything short of fishing out and bringing the assailants to book, to assuage the unfortunate loss of the two operatives, will not be accepted.”

Advertisement

The police commissioner urged residents of the state to assist the police with “useful information that will aid the speedy arrest of the suspects.”

He called on the residents and owners of medical facilities in particular, to report to the police any persons, dead or alive, seen with gunshot injuries in their neighbourhood.

(Pacesetter/Premium Times)