A six-man robbery gang has attacked two police checkpoints in Enugu State, snatching Ak-47 rifles from some policemen manning the spots.
The robbers, who were operating in a tricycle otherwise known as ‘keke’, reportedly stabbed three policemen and burnt a patrol vehicle.
City Round gathered that the incident took place along Enugu-Nsukka Road by Ugwuojo Nike on Tuesday, during the enforcement of the partial lockdown in the state to contain the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
A security source told our correspondent on Friday that the hoodlums clad in black dresses, first attacked a police checkpoint at Ekwegbe where a policeman, identified simply as Inspector James, was stabbed in the chest.
On getting to the next checkpoint along Enugu-Nsukka Road where the operatives of the Federal Safer Highway Patrol Team blocked the road, the hoodlums reportedly attacked the two policemen on duty with daggers and dispossessed them of their AK-47 rifles.
The source said the Federal Safer Highway team comprised four policemen, two of whom were attacked while they were sleeping.
“The hoodlums went away with the service rifles of the two policemen and set the operational van stationed at the checkpoint ablaze,” he added.
Our correspondent also reliably gathered that the attacked policemen were later taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.
Efforts to get the reaction of the state police command failed as neither the Commissioner of Police, Ahmad Abdur-rahma, nor the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Daniel Ndukwe, responded to several telephone calls placed to their mobiles.
They also did not respond to text messages sent to their mobiles as of the time of filing this report
However, the Officer-in-Charge of Federal Safer Highway in Enugu State, SP Sam Agbons, confirmed the attack to our correspondent, but said no casualty was recorded.
He said, “Thanks for your concern. We thank God that no life was lost.