Gunmen have killed an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Ndiegoro, in Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State.

The ASP identified simply as “Agbalagba”, said to be attached to the Ndiegoro Police Division, was gruesomely murdered with his head cut off along East Road at about 5:am on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.

It was gathered that the gunmen, after killing and beheading the officer, made away with his gun and police uniform.

The ASP, an indigene of Ebonyi State, who led the patrol team was said to be due for retirement by September.

Late Agbalagba and his team were said to be on an early morning stop-and-search operation at Cameroon road by East Street when the gunmen swooped on them unawares.

However, a source at the State Command confirmed the incident, adding that investigation into the matter has commenced.

According to a PUNCH report, a police source linked the killing of the ASP to a notorious criminal group whose leader was killed during a gun battle on Sunday, April 23, 2023.

It was gathered that the leader of the gang who is popularly known in the area as JT met his waterloo in a gun battle with the police when he was sighted carrying out criminal activities.

A source revealed that JT and his gang, on sighting the police officers, opened fire and tried to flee but the policemen gave them a hot chase up to the Orji Uzor-Kalu bridge linking Ngwa Road, Pepples Road and Akpu Road.

On seeing the determination of the police to get him arrested, JT jumped into the Aba River to try to escape through the Ovom/Azumini link of the river but he was gunned down right inside the river.

Residents of the area were said to have celebrated the death of JT, but the killing of the ASP has led to tension in the area as the criminals have threatened that the police and civilians would be targeted.

“With what we heard, they said they have declared war on the police and we, the residents. I don’t know what happened but the way they killed the ASP, with his head removed and during the murderous act shows that this city needs serious attention now,” a source said.

The kidnappers of eight residents of Munu community in Rubochi in Kuje Area Council of the FCT, have given relatives of the victims seven days to raise N16m or pick their c@rpses.

Gunmen abducted eight people and k!lled two others after they invaded Munu community last Wednesday, Feb. 15.

A family member of one of the abducted victims, Donathus Musa, told DailyTrust on Sunday, Feb. 19, that the gang leader gave the warning while negotiating ransom.

He said it was after contact was established last Friday that the abductors demanded N30m, which was later slashed to N16m after intensive negotiation.

He said:

“It was while one of the family members of the abducted victims was negotiating with them that their leader insisted that the family should raise N16m within a week or that they should be ready to come and carry their c@rpses.

And aside from the ransom, they are also demanding foodstuff.”