From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
The Enugu State Police Command has debunked reports on social media that the police shot and killed a young man and his girlfriend in the state.
Instead, the police said a driver of a Lexus saloon car who knocked down a Police officer at a checkpoint while trying to avoid being checked and got a bullet injury in the process is in and receiving treatment with the officer.
The said report which went viral had it that the Police shot a young man and his girlfriend dead, at Monkey Roundabout, close to EFCC Office, Enugu.
But in a statement, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe (DSP) said “that on 21/07/2022 at about 2 pm, a team of Police Operatives serving in No. 3 PMF Enugu, while on routine stop and search duty at EFCC Roundabout, Independence Layout, flagged down the driver of a Lexus saloon car. The driver, rather than stop, recklessly zoomed off, knocking down one of the operatives and pulling him along to a distance of about four poles, before he was forced to stop by the other members of the team, who immediately went after him. And in the bid to restrain the driver from further escape, one of the operatives fired a knee-level shot, which got him in the thigh.
“The Policeman, Inspector Aneka Ndayi, who sustained severe bodily injuries; and the said driver, one Ogwuike Christian, were both moved to the hospital and are responding to treatment and in stable conditions.”
Ndukwe disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Lawal, has ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the state CID, to thoroughly investigate the incident and come up with actionable findings.
The CP further said had urged residents of the state, “particularly motorists, to always cooperate with Police Officers legitimately performing road duties, to avoid the occurrence of this nature.”