Unknown gunmen on Friday killed five policemen at Okpala junction in the Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State.
Also killed were a couple identified as Mr and Mrs Chinaka Nwagu who hailed from Amankwo Okpala community.
The incident threw the entire community into apprehension as commercial activities had abruptly came to a halt.
A source who identified himself as Uche Madu and a relative to the couple told LEADERSHIP that the slain cops drove from neighbouring Abo Mbaise police Division to eat at the junction.
He stated that while the policemen were eating gunmen drove to the scene and opened fire.
According to him, while the three policemen were shot dead at the scene, two others ran to a nearby shop but their attackers raced to the shop killed them and equally killed the couple who owned the shop they ran into.
The eyewitness disclosed that after killing the policemen, the gunmen carted away their five riffles.
The source said “it is a black Friday in our community. Gunmen around 8am shot five policemen dead at Okpala junction. The policemen drove in a white coloured Hilux from Aboh Mbaise division to eat at the junction.
“As they were eating gunmen drove to the place and opened fire on them. Two out of the five policemen ran to a nearby shop where a couple sell meat pie and sachet water. After killing the three policemen, they came to the shop where the two other officers were hiding, killed them. They also killed a husband and wife that owned the shop.
“They took away their rifles and drove off. This is so unfortunate. Our community is bleeding. Everybody is confused. The couple just relocated from Lagos about one year ago. We just deposited their bodies in a mortuary. The market is shut. People have ran away out of shock and fear. This is unbelievable.”
Another source, Dominic Okpor told LEADERSHIP that he saw the lifeless bodies of the cops on the road when he drove through the Owerri – Aba Road.
Okpor highlighted “this is horrible, the bodies of the five policemen were lying on the road as we drove through. Their Hilux was also parked at the junction. The scene was horrible, it is terrible, God have mercy”.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the police, Henry Okoye, stressed that he had yet to be briefed on the incident.
The PPRO promised to revert to LEADERSHIP with further information as soon as same is made available to him.
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