Tragedy struck on Sunday in Delta State when two policemen assigned to the Dragon Patrol Team were shot by unknown gunmen at their checkpoint along the Ughelli-Asaba Road by the Oleh roundabout.
The incident triggered apprehension and worry regarding the victims’ chance of survival, given the grave impact of the bullets that struck them.
Recounting the frightening event, a commercial driver revealed his uncertainty about the well-being of the two policemen targeted in the attack.
However, he confirmed that the perpetrators deliberately set fire to the police patrol van.
According to the commercial driver, when he and others emerged from the bush where they sought refuge, they found another police van already present at the scene, prepared to move the victims away.
As of the time of filing this report, attempts to reach the State Police Public Relations Officer Command, DSP Bright Edafe, for comments on the incident were unsuccessful.
Also, The Ondo State Police Command reported that they have arrested a driver who ran over a policeman at a checkpoint along the Benin-Owo Expressway in the Ifon area of the Ose Local Government Area on Sunday.
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As stated by the police, the driver was captured by the Nigerian Army at Sobe in Edo State.
The command, however, dismissed an earlier report claiming that the policeman was killed by suspected kidnappers.
Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, the state Police Public Relations Officer, provided official confirmation that the policeman’s death was due to a hit-and-run accident and discredited any suggestions of kidnapping activities.
She said, ‘While policemen were trying to stop the driver of a suspected vehicle, he didn’t stop. So, our men were alerted on the highway, but on getting to a particular place around Ifon, the driver swerved and hit an ASP and the officer died immediately.’
‘The driver, was, however, pursued and fortunately for us he (the driver) was arrested by the military men at Sobe in Edo State.’
The incident was captured in a 53-second viral video that revealed the scene, with the deceased lying on the road in a pool of blood.
In the video, the policeman was observed with a head injury, and his fellow officers were seen carrying his lifeless body into a police van.