Pandemonium broke out along the busy Ugbowo–Lagos Road near Ekosodin Junction in Benin City, Edo State, on Friday, following the killing of a police inspector by unknown gunmen during a routine stop-and-search operation.
The incident, which occurred around midday, reportedly triggered a brief exchange of gunfire between the assailants and other police operatives on duty.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers, who were driving a black Lexus RX SUV from the University of Benin (UNIBEN) main gate axis, attempted to evade routine security checks mounted along the road.
According to one witness, the vehicle passed the first checkpoint but diverted into a closed-off area after sighting a second police post ahead.
The inspector, who approached the diverted vehicle, was shot at close range when the occupants suddenly stopped, stepped out, and opened fire. The attackers then seized his service rifle before fleeing.
As the suspects sped off, they were said to have engaged other officers in the area in a brief shootout before escaping.
The Edo State Police Command confirmed the killing and expressed deep regret over the loss of the officer, who was attached to the Ekiadolor Area Command. In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Moses Joel Yamu, the Command said the inspector “died in the line of duty while carrying out a lawful stop-and-search operation.”
Yamu explained that the attack occurred at about 12:00 noon when “an unregistered, black, heavily tinted Lexus SUV approached the checkpoint and refused to stop when flagged down by police operatives.”
He added that the suspicious conduct of the occupants prompted further attempts to subject the vehicle to standard security checks, during which one of them allegedly opened fire on the officer at close range before escaping.
The Command has launched a full-scale investigation and intensified a manhunt for the perpetrators, noting that all available intelligence and operational assets have been deployed to track them down.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Agbonika, urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report any sighting of a vehicle matching the description to the nearest police station or through the Command’s emergency hotlines, 08037646272 and 08077773721.
Residents of Benin City were also encouraged to cooperate with security agencies as efforts to maintain peace and public safety across the state are intensified.
The Edo State Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property, assuring that it will not relent until those responsible for the attack are apprehended.
