Gunmen kill two policemen at checkpoint in Ondo community

The Ondo State Police Command, on Thursday, said two of its officers were allegedly shot dead by unknown gunmen at a checkpoint around Irele in Irele Local Government Area of the state.

The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Femi Joseph, who confirmed the death of two policemen, said bandit opened fire on the policemen, killing two of the three policemen at the checkpoint on the spot, injuring one.

Joseph said the injured cop was rushed to a hospital in the area where he was receiving treatment.

He said the identity of the deceased had not been revealed by the command but said the command had been on the trail of the bandits.

He said: “We lost two of our men on duty on Monday, but we don’t know who the killers are yet, whether they are armed robbers or militants or some thugs, it is when we arrest them that they tell us who they are.

“But it is very sad and unfortunately for the command, losing our men just like that. While the investigation has commenced, we will do everything to get the bandits arrested and face the wrath of the law.”

However, a source in the area said the alleged killers were the militants who had been terrorising the riverine area in the recent time.
He explained that the bandits initially argued with the policemen at the checkpoint over N50 bribe, which led to the shootout between them and the bandit killed two of the security operatives.

However, another source from the area said, the killers were armed robbers, and the policemen were shot while trying to arrest them, after discovering the hoodlums were returning from a robbery operation.