A bystander was tragically killed, and three others sustained injuries during a confrontation between policemen and a soldier at the Ugwuachara axis of the old Enugu-Ogoja Expressway in Ebonyi State.
The Ebonyi State Police Commissioner, CP Adaku Uche-Anya, confirmed the incident, explaining that it occurred during a stop-and-search operation by police officers in the area.
According to Uche-Anya, trouble began when a soldier on a motorcycle was flagged down by the police for a routine search. The soldier reportedly resisted, leading to a scuffle during which a firearm discharged accidentally, striking a bystander.
“Policemen on stop-and-search stopped the purported soldier and wanted to search him, but he refused, and there was a scuffle,” Uche-Anya explained.
“During the scuffle, the soldier was trying to disarm one of them, and the bullet went off, hitting a bystander. It’s not as if they just opened fire on an innocent bystander,” she added.
The commissioner also confirmed that one person died from the incident while three others were injured. “They’re responding to treatment,” she said.
Further investigations revealed that the individual involved in the altercation was indeed a soldier. “Both the soldier and the policeman involved are in our custody, and we’re investigating what happened,” Uche-Anya assured.
The Special Assistant to the Ebonyi State Governor on Internal Security, Hon. Obinna Mbam, also addressed the incident, stating that normalcy had returned to the area.
Mbam further pledged that those responsible would face justice. “The perpetrators will be brought to book,” he said.
