Bandits ambush Police unit in Abia, behead vigilante

A member of a vigilante operative was killed and beheaded in an attack by bandit in Abia State on Thursday, with no injuries reported among the police officers, as confirmed by the state police command.

The attack took place On Wednesday, October 26, at Umuojima/Isiahia village in the Osisioma Ngwa council area of the state. In this incident, armed individuals ambushed a police team that was assigned to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) while conducting stop-and-search operations.

The Police spokesperson, ASP Maureen Chinaka, verified the occurrence and confirmed that no police officers were fatally injured in the attack.

Chinaka explained that in response to a distress call about the incident, a police team from the Osisioma Ngwa division arrived at the scene and found an unregistered Sienna bus along with a decapitated body.

She further stated that following an investigation, the deceased was identified as Obinna Ndukwe, a member of the Abia State vigilante services who frequently collaborated with the police. His remains have been placed in an undisclosed mortuary within the city.

“Yesterday, 26/10/2023 26, 2023, at about 15:50 hrs, Abia State Police officers stationed at Osisioma Ngwa Police Headquarters received credible information concerning an attack on a group of security personnel in Isiahia village, Umuojima, Osisioma Ngwa. The attacked team included one policeman, one special constabulary personnel, and three vigilante men,” Chinaka said.

“Upon arrival, an unregistered Sienna bus and a headless corpse were discovered. Through investigation, the deceased was identified as Obinna Ndukwe, also known as Socket, who was a member of the Abia State vigilante and often collaborated with the police. The body of the deceased has been evacuated and deposited in the mortuary.”

Chinaka emphasized that the police are presently conducting an inquiry into the assault and have initiated a search to apprehend those responsible. She encouraged residents of the locality to stay composed and maintain their vigilance regarding security.

“We would want to clarify that no police official was killed during the incident. Furthermore, our officers successfully recovered the vehicle used by the hoodlums in the attack and efforts are underway to apprehend the perpetrators.”