A routine stop-and-search operation in Anambra State turned deadly on Wednesday, June 25, when a police inspector was mistakenly shot by alleged Department of State Services (DSS) operatives in a tragic case of friendly fire.
The incident occurred around the Danaks Filling Station on the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway in Uli, Ihiala Local Government Area. It reportedly began when officers from the 29 Police Mobile Force, Awka, flagged down a Toyota Sienna vehicle driving against traffic.
Eyewitnesses said the vehicle emerged from a side road and was stopped by the patrol team for questioning.
Unknown to the officers, the occupants were operatives of a “friendly force” dressed in black and reportedly refused to cooperate.
A nearby hawker who witnessed the encounter said, “The unmarked Toyota Sienna conveying the DSS operatives had emerged from a nearby track road and was driving against traffic, prompting the police patrol team to flag it down for questioning.
“However, the occupants allegedly declined to cooperate and instead opened fire on the police team, fatally hitting one of the officers, in his lower rib region.”
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The wounded officer was first taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Ihiala, then referred to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital in Nnewi, where he was pronounced dead.
Anambra State Police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident on Thursday, describing it as “distressing.” He appealed for calm and assured the public that an investigation is underway.
“The deceased police officer, who was on duty at the checkpoint, was mistakenly fatally shot by operatives of a ‘friendly force’ who emerged from an unmarked Toyota Sienna vehicle dressed in black attire, a scene that initially triggered suspicion and led to the exchange of fire between the two security agencies,” Ikenga said.
He noted that the matter had been handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka for a thorough probe.
“The State Police Command, headed by CP Ikioye Orutugu, has urged the public to remain calm and trust the command’s ongoing efforts to get to the root of the matter.
“All necessary protocols were being followed to ensure justice, as well as to forestall a recurrence of such incidents,” he added.
The inspector’s body has been deposited at the hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy, as authorities continue to investigate how a routine check spiralled into a fatal confrontation between security forces.