Gunmen have murdered a retired police officer Chris Kpatuma a.k.a Hipis in Mgbala Agwa Autonomous Community, Oguta Local Government Area of Imo.
The police officer was killed on Wednesday with sources saying that the attackers are suspected escapees from the Owerri Correctional Centre who live in a neighboring community.
Kpatuma was waylaid at the entrance of his home and shot dead while his body was taken away. His throat was slit when his body was later found.
The spokesman of the Imo State Police Command Mike Abatam, who confirmed the development, also said investigations into the matter have commenced.
Kpatuma’s murder is the latest in a series of attacks on security personnel and facilities in the South East, especially in Imo State.
In recent months, gunmen have targeted security agencies in the state, killing some and injuring others. Aside from attacks on police officers and other security personnel, several police facilities have been targeted by assailants.
Before the recent incident, gunmen attacked a police station in Mgbidi, the headquarters of Oru West Local Government Area of the state. An inspector was killed and another one injured during the attack, police authorities said.
In a statement, the police said shortly after the assailants arrived at the scene in a pick-up van, they began to shoot sporadically in a bid to gain entrance into the station, causing tension in the area.
But the officers repelled the attack, and in the ensuing, the assailants were overpowered, forcing them to retreat before they escaped.
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