Two police officers assigned to a member of the Imo State House of Assembly were killed on Sunday evening, August 3, near the Okigwe Roundabout, during a suspected ambush by armed separatist groups.
The lawmaker they were escorting is currently missing.
According to a police communication obtained by SaharaReporters, the attack took place at approximately 5:35 p.m. The convoy had reportedly broken down along the road, prompting the officers to seek help.
It was during this attempt that gunmen opened fire, killing the officers instantly.
The attackers, suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), also took the officers’ rifles after the assault.
The police signal read in part:
“At about 1735hrs near Okigwe Roundabout, two policemen attached to a yet-to-be-identified Honourable Member were attacked by ESN/IPOB militia. Their assault rifles were carted away.
The Honourable Member’s vehicle broke down, and while the officers sought assistance, they were ambushed and killed on the spot. The lawmaker is currently unaccounted for.”
As of the time of this report, there has been no official statement regarding the identity or status of the missing lawmaker.
This incident follows a pattern of escalating violence in Nigeria’s South-East region.
A recent report by Intersociety documented at least 240 killings and 270 abductions between December 2024 and January 2025, with millions of naira reportedly paid in ransom.
