A policeman was fatally shot and another injured during an attack on their convoy by gunmen at Ubakala in the Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State.
The incident, which occurred around 9 p.m. on Sunday, marks the second assault on security personnel in the state within a week.
Just four days earlier, two soldiers were killed at a checkpoint in Umuopara, near the Abia-Imo border, by unidentified gunmen.
Sources revealed that the attacked policemen were assigned to a federal lawmaker from the state.
However, the lawmaker was not travelling with the convoy, which included a Toyota Corolla carrying two policemen and a driver.
Eyewitness accounts indicated that the assailants, dressed in black and donning police jackets, blocked the convoy before launching the attack.
“The gunmen opened fire on the policemen after they identified themselves as police officers,” said a police source familiar with the incident.
In the shootout that ensued, one policeman was killed instantly, while the other sustained injuries.
The second officer is feared dead, though official confirmation remains pending.
Responding to the attack, officers from the nearby Ubakala Police Division engaged the assailants in a gunfight, prompting the gunmen to flee the scene.
This latest violence underscores the growing insecurity in the region, with police and military personnel increasingly targeted by criminal elements.
At the time of reporting, the Abia State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police Maureen Chinaka, had yet to issue an official statement.
This attack follows a worrying pattern of assaults on law enforcement in Abia State, raising concerns about the safety of both security personnel and the wider community.
The motives behind these attacks remain unclear, but their frequency signals a need for urgent and decisive intervention.
