The Enugu State Police Command has confirmed that gunmen attacked a police checkpoint along Agbani Road on Thursday night, killing two police officers and setting a patrol vehicle ablaze.
According to the command, the attack occurred on January 15, 2026, when suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), opened fire on operatives of the Police Distress Response Squad stationed at the checkpoint.
“The criminal elements suddenly opened fire on the police team without provocation. The operatives responded promptly, forcing the assailants to flee with varying degrees of gunshot injuries,” SP Daniel Ndukwe, the command’s spokesperson, said in a statement on Friday.
During the exchange of gunfire, the police operational vehicle was engulfed in flames, while two officers sustained critical gunshot wounds. They were rushed to a hospital for urgent medical care but were later pronounced dead by attending medical personnel.
Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, CP Mamman Giwa, ordered an intensified manhunt for the suspects, directing tactical and intelligence units to track them down and ensure their arrest.
“The Commissioner has charged operatives to deploy all available resources and leverage actionable intelligence to sustain the trail and ensure that the fleeing assailants are arrested and brought to justice,” Ndukwe said.
Police also confirmed the recovery of a Lexus 330 SUV, earlier snatched from its owner by the attackers and used in the operation. The vehicle bore multiple bullet holes from the gunfight.
CP Giwa appealed to residents with useful information to assist in apprehending the suspects and reassured the public that the command remains committed to safeguarding lives and property.
Investigations into the attack are ongoing, and security patrols have been intensified across the area to prevent further incidents, the police CP said.
