Gunmen kill police inspector, cart away rifle, Berret in Rivers.

***Command launches manhunt

Gunmen have shot dead a Police Inspector in front of a popular hotel in the D/Line axis of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Also, the gunmen carted away the AK-47 rifle of the operative after he was shot in the head.

An eyewitness who preferred anonymity said the dare-devil assailants rode in a Toyota Corolla vehicle. Read More: https://legalattorneyblog.com/2023/08/12/gunmen-attack-the-army-van-and-steal-bags-of-money-in-edo/

He stated, “It was around 2pm on Friday when we saw some men in a Grey 2005 Toyota Corolla car drove with speed and stopped in front of Landmark Hotel.

“Next thing, a policeman with his boss was shot by one of the men who came down from the vehicle and his gun was taken, and the car zoomed off immediately.”

Though the motive of the shooting could not be ascertained, the eyewitness said it may have been a kidnap attempt, as the killed cop was guarding a yet-to-identified personality.

He said the incident created panic in the area, as residents scampered for safety while business owners immediately closed shop.

In a viral video seen by our correspondent, the policeman sprawled on the ground in a pool of blood.

Spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, in a statement on Saturday afternoon, confirmed the incident, saying the investigation was ongoing to apprehend the fleeing gunmen.

She said the deceased was attached to the Department of Operations, Yenegoa  Bayelsa State Capital.

The statement reads, “On 25/08/2023 at about 2030hrs, information was received that one Inspector attached to the Department of Operations, Yenegoa  Bayelsa State, was fatally shot.

“He was shot in the head while escorting his Principal around Landmark Hotel at Oroworukwo, near Olu Obasanjo Road, Port Harcourt.

“His rifle and Berret was carted away. Patrol teams were immediately mobilized to the scene.”

Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, said, “Effort is ongoing to arrest the fleeing hoodlums and recover the rifle.

She stated that the corpse of the late police officer had been deposited at the Military Hospital in Port Harcourt for autopsy.