Soldiers open fire on police officers returning from election duty in Anambra
Tension flared on Sunday along Onitsha Road in Anambra State after soldiers reportedly opened fire on police officers returning from election duty.
According to Sahara Reporters, the police team was returning from the just-concluded governorship election in the southeastern state when an argument broke out between them and soldiers stationed at a military checkpoint.
During the altercation, one police officer was shot in the chest, while several others sustained injuries. A video trending online shows officers attempting to rescue a shirtless colleague, using a piece of cloth to stem the flow of blood from his chest.
“Happening now on our way coming back from Anambra State election, we had a misunderstanding with army personnel at a military checkpoint,” a police officer was quoted as saying. “Before we knew what was going on, they opened fire on us. One of us was shot directly on his chest, with many other policemen injured.”
Confirming the incident, Anambra police spokesperson Ikenganya Anthony told PREMIUM TIMES that the misunderstanding between the soldiers and police officers had been “resolved.”
He added that the officer who was shot is “very stable,” stressing that the situation has been settled.
Efforts to reach army spokesperson Colonel Appolonia Anele were unsuccessful as her phone line was unreachable and messages sent to her had not been responded to at the time of filing this report.
