4 fleeing gunmen, nurse shot in Rivers

Four fleeing gunmen and a female nurse were shot dead on Saturday in Okpulor axis of Oyigbo in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Our reporter learnt that the gunmen were among those who carried out coordinated attacks last week on various police formations along the Rumuji axis of the East-West Road in Emuoha LGA and Elimgbu Police Station in Obio/Akpor LGA where seven police officers were killed.

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Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Friday Eboka, told our reporter that the operation that led to the killing of the fleeing gunmen and a nurse was not carried out by the police but sources in the area told our reporter that those who carried out the operation might be the joint security task force providing security in the Oyigbo axis.

The police had, in a press statement issued shortly after the attack of its formations last week, said that its operatives killed two of the attackers, while others fled with gunshot injuries and said that efforts were on to apprehend and recover rifles stolen.

Community sources told our reporter that the nurse, who was simply identified as Chichi, was treating the gunmen in an uncompleted building near the location road in Oyigbo when the joint security task force surrounded the place and opened fire on them.

The source said one of the suspects, who attempted to escape through a fence, was shot dead by the security operatives who surrounded the building.

The source said that the security operatives thereafter moved into the building and shot dead three other suspects being treated by the nurse.

“During that attack, the police at Elimgbu engaged them in a gun battle. They sustained many injuries and even abandoned their Hilux van.

“Those who were wounded ran to their hideout at Iriebe near Oyigbo and hired one Uchechi, a nurse to treat them.

“The police tracked them to the hideout. Three of them were already on a drip. Sensing danger, one of the gunmen scaled the fence but was gunned down by the squad.

“The policemen eventually gained access to the building and met three others on a drip.

“They made efforts to shoot at the police but the policemen gunned them and in the process, the lady was hit by a bullet and she died.

“I can tell you that they are IPOB members. Five registration booklets of IPOB, many charms and some arms were recovered from them.

“You need to see their body, which was previously riddled by bullets,” the source stated.

When contacted, the State Commissioner of Police, Eboka Friday, confirmed the killing of the four gunmen and the nurse but said that the police were not involved in the operation.