Tragedy struck on Monday evening in Imo state as gunmen attacked a police checkpoint along Owerri-Onitsha road, killing four policemen on stop and search duty.
The incident occurred around 6:30pm, with eyewitnesses describing the scene as “horrific”.
According to an eyewitness, the gunmen also shot a female POS operator and some pedestrians who were rushed to a nearby hospital.
The eyewitness, said: “The gunmen stormed at Blossom Hotel police checkpoint, near SaveMore Market Place Irete around 6:30 or thereabout and shot sporadically at the policemen on stop and search duty, killing four officers on duty.”
He added: “They also shot dead a female Point Of Sale operator and some pedestrians who were taken unawares… All the people around ran away for fear of being hit by stray bullets.”
Another witness who spoke on condition of anonymity, attributed the attack to enforcers of the Monday sit-at-home order.
The Imo state police Spokesman, Henry Okoye, said that the command had yet to be briefed on the incident but would revert as soon as it got acquainted with the situation.