Claims that a police officer was killed in an attack by hoodlums on Thursday have been debunked by the Abia State Police Command.
This was made known by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Maureen Chinaka, for the Abia State Police Commissioner, CP Kenechukwu Onwuemelie.
However, in the press release, the police image maker confirmed that a security personnel of Abia State Vigilante, identified as Obinna Ndukwe, popularly known as Socket, was killed and beheaded by the attackers.
She said the incident happened at about 15:50 hours, at Isiahia Village in Umuojima, Osisioma.
The police spokesperson said Socket was a member of Abia State Vigilante Service who often collaborated with the Police.
She added that the corpse of the victim has been evacuated and deposited in a mortuary.
The statement disclosed that efforts are in top gear to apprehend the perpetrators, adding that police officers successfully recovered the unregistered vehicle used by the hoodlums during the attack.
The release read, “Yesterday 26/10/2023 At about 15:50 hrs, Abia State Police officers stationed at OSISIOMA Police headquarters received credible information concerning an attack on a group of security personnel in Isiahia village, Umuojima, OSISIOMA. The attacked team included one policeman, one special constabulary personnel, and three vigilante men.
“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.
“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.
“We urge all citizens to remain calm and security-conscious while going about their activities.”