Gunmen on Friday, April 21 shot dead five policemen at Okpala junction in the Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State.
The blood-thirty felons also killed a couple identified as Mr and Mrs Chinaka Nwagu, both natives of Amankwo Okpala Community.
A source who gave his name simply as Uche told our correspondent that the slain cops drove from neighbouring Abo Mbaise Police Division to eat at the junction.
According to Uche, who is a relative of slain couple while the policemen were eating some gunmen drove to the scene and opened fire on them.
He said that while three police were shot dead at the scene, two others ran to a nearby shop but their attackers raced to the shop killed them and equally killed the couple who owned the shop they ran into.
The eyewitness disclosed that after killing the policemen, the gunmen carted away their five rifles.
Uche said ” it is a black Friday in our community. Gunmen around 8:00am shot five policemen dead at Okpala junction.
“The policemen drove in a white coloured Hilux from Aboh Mbaise Division to eat at the junction.
“As they were eating, gunmen drove to the place and opened fire on them. Two out of the five policemen ran to a nearby shop where a couple sell meat pie and sachet water.
“After killing the three policemen, they came to the shop where the two other officers were hiding, killed them. They also killed a husband and wife that owned the shop.
“They took away their rifles and drove off. This is so unfortunate.
“Our community is bleeding. Everybody is confused. The couple just relocated from Lagos about one year ago.
“We just deposited their bodies in a mortuary. The market is shut. People have run away out of shock and fear. This is unbelievable.”
Another source, Dominic Okpor told confirmed seeing the lifeless bodies of the cops on the road when he drove through the Owerri-Aba Road.
Okpor said; ” This is horrible. The bodies of the five policemen were lying on the road as we drove through.
“Their Hilux was also parked at the junction. The scene was horrible. It is terrible. God have mercy.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the police in the state, Henry Okoye, said that he was yet to be briefed on murder incident.
He promised to make enquiries and revert to our correspondent.
Okoye however could not get back to our correspondent before press time.
Recall that on March 27 some gunmen ambushed and killed five personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in the Ngor Okpala Local Government Area.
The slain NSCDC of we’re on surveillance of critical national assets when the ambush occurred.
