Fleeing gunmen have killed Inspector Augustine Ukegbu of the Imo State Police. The officer was abducted from his home in Umuoshike Ogbor, Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area, as he returned to celebrate Easter with his family. Police sources told our correspondent that after his arrival from the Owerri base, the inspector was seized by gunmen driving a Lexus jeep at around 11 p.m. on April 8. The kidnapping was reported to Oke Ovoro Police Division, and the abandoned vehicle was later found along Mbutu Road in Aboh Mbaise.
Police officers searched the surrounding bush and discovered the inspector’s body, which was subsequently placed in a local mortuary by police operatives. The Lexus jeep used in the abduction was recovered by his colleagues. Another source, visibly upset by the killing, recounted seeing Inspector Ukegbu in Owerri the day before his travel, noting that the officer had told him he was heading to Mbaise for Easter celebrations. The source added that Ukegbu served at Orji Police Divisional Headquarters, had previously been posted to the Owerri headquarters, and was a member of the SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) Department.
State police spokesperson Henry Okoye confirmed that the command has launched an investigation into the kidnapping and murder of Inspector Ukegbu.
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