Unknown gunmen have beheaded an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) identified as Linus, along East Street, Ndiegoro, Aba, Abia State.
A source said that the gunmen attacked a Police patrol team with the ASP on board at Tenant road junction by East street at about 5am Tuesday.
The source noted that on sighting the gunmen, the other members of the Police patrol team allegedly fled after exchanging gunfire with them. The hoodlums then reportedly caught the ASP popularly known as “Agbalagba” and cut off his head.
They then escaped with the dead policeman’s gun and uniform.
A resident who pleaded anonymity told Vanguard that the gruesome killing on Tuesday has sent fears to most residents of East Street, Ngwa Road, Akpu Road, Ndoki Street, Etche Road, and Ulasi Road all within the Ndiegoro axis into panic as the criminals were said to have threatened to attack more Policemen and residents.
“With what we heard, they said they have declared war on Police and the residents. I don’t know what happened ,but with the way they killed the Policeman, with his head removed and what we heard they were shouting during the attack shows that there’s problem in Aba,” the resident said.
A retired Police officer who pleaded anonymity stated that with the threat to attack more Policemen in Aba, it is time the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of police and other security heads pay attention to what is happening in Ndiegoro, especially the areas linking it with Ogbor-Hill.
He said: “The Police officer that was killed along Tenant Road by East Street had his head cut off, his arms carted away and his uniform taken away as well. What does that tell you? The criminal activities are becoming too much, yet the Commissioner of Police in Abia is behaving as if nothing is happening.
“I don’t know if the IGP is not getting reports of how these boys are causing fear and threatening his men on duty. Aba needs more Police manpower. We have only eight functional police stations policing urban areas of the five Local Governments in Aba here.
“Do the Ohuru-Isimiri Division, Ndiegoro Division, Central Police Station, Uratta Division, Eziama Division, Azuka Division, Abayi Division and Osisioma Ngwa Division have the manpower and equipment to handle what’s currently unfolding here? Even the presence of Mopol 55, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Eziama and the anti-kidnaping unit, Aba Annex in Ndiegoro boundary with Ovom is not enough.
“Aba is densely populated and places like this Ndiegoro and the other side of the River (Ogbor-Hill) and even the Umunkama area crime – prone. This is exactly why this city called Aba is not expanding. The IGP and the Commissioner must act fast and take away these areas from the hands of criminals who have occupied them before it is too late.”
Efforts to get the reaction of the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Abia State Command,SP Geoffrey Ogbonna,was not successful as at the time of filing this report SP Ogbonna did not respond to the calls and messages placed in his phone lines.
Vanguard