A policeman attached to the Imo State Police Command, Cosmas Ugwu, has been shot dead by his girlfriend.
Ugwu was killed on Tuesday by his 23-year-old lover, Amanda Uchechi Ugo, a native of Imo State’s Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area.
According to sources, the incident occurred on Boxing Day about 6:30 p.m. in the Ezinihitte Area Command.
Officers on counter-duty reported hearing three gunshots coming from the deceased officer’s room.
“When police officers ran into the room to see what was going on, they found Corporal Ugwu lying in a pool of his blood. The girl shot him three times on his chest and his left hand. He was rushed immediately to Evergreen Hospital in Ezinihitte, where he was pronounced dead by the doctor on duty,” a source told our correspondent in a chat on Wednesday.
The deceased had a serious fight with his girlfriend, and in the course of the altercation, the girl reached for his rifle, pulled the trigger and shot him three times.
The source added, “Nobody actually knows what went wrong between the two, but how the girl was able to use a police rifle successfully is still a surprise to many. Maybe, Ugwu was the one who taught her.”
The suspect is currently in the police custody for interrogation and possible prosecution.
When contacted by our correspondent, the Police Public Relations Officer in Imo State, Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident, saying the police were doing everything to ascertain what really transpired.
“Yes, the incident happened. A policeman was allegedly shot dead by his girlfriend. He was serving at Ezinihitte Mbaise. Currently, the girl involved has been arrested. We are doing everything to ensure we investigate the matter, to ascertain the fact and possibly arraign the suspect in court,” Okoye stated in a telephone conversation.