Panic as gunmen kill police officer in Imo

Gunmen shot and killed a police sergeant, Loveday Obilonu, on Wednesday in Owerri, Imo State.

Obilonu, who was shot and killed in his village of Okwu-Uratta in Owerri North Local Government Area of the state, was attached to the Department of operations of the state police command.

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Circumstances surrounding his death are unclear, but it has been gathered that his killers shot him inside a gutter where he was apparently asked to lay.

His uncle, Val Okara, with the aid of the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Orji Divisional Police Headquarters, moved the corpse to Aladinma morgue in Owerri.

His body was said to be lying inside the gutter as of the time his cousin and police operatives arrived with an ambulance and evacuated his remains.

Okara described the death of his relative as suspicious.

Okara, a journalist, told our correspondent that the slain cop’s two phones had been taken to his wife.

He said,  “I suspect that my younger cousin was assassinated because no less than five bullets were released on his head. He was shot dead inside the gutter, raising suspicion that it might be an assassination. The police should do a thorough investigation.

“He was my very beloved cousin. He was married with four children and I am pained about his death because he left a very young family.

“I am his marriage godfather. He had a very loving wife and I do not know what his wife and children will do now. This is indeed very regrettable.”

He added,  “An unexpended bullet was found inside the gutter where his corpse was lying. There is every suspicion that it was a murder incident. The murder case has been incidented at the Orji Divisional Police headquarters.”

The police spokesperson in the state, Bala Elkana, said he had not been briefed about the incident.