- The incident allegedly involved police patrol teams from Aba Area Command and Umuahia, who reportedly mistook each other for hostile forces
The Abia State Command of the Nigerian Police Force has denied involvement in the killing of a civilian, an unidentified truck driver, in Aba on Wednesday.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Maureen Chinaka, clarified, “From our preliminary investigation, there is no credible evidence to suggest that police officers mistook themselves for members of IPOB and fired at each other. What we can confirm is that there was a shooting in that area, which resulted in the death of a civilian. The identity of those responsible for the shooting and their motives are still under investigation.”
According to reports, the incident allegedly involved police patrol teams from Aba Area Command and Umuahia, who reportedly mistook each other for hostile forces. It is claimed that both teams, operating in commercial buses, opened fire after failing to identify themselves.
During the crossfire, shop owners and passersby in the Alaoji motor spare parts area along the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway fled for safety. Unfortunately, the truck driver was caught in the crossfire and lost his life.
Eyewitnesses suggest that after realizing their mistake, the officers involved engaged in a heated argument, trading blame for the tragic death while refusing to accept responsibility.
The Abia State Police Command has urged anyone with information regarding the incident to report to the nearest police station, as investigations are still ongoing.
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