The Enugu State Police Command has begun a manhunt for the driver and conductor of a Mitsubishi L300 commercial bus accused of attacking police officers, attempting to kill them and making away with a police rifle during an incident in Enugu.
The Punch reported that the command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, saying the two suspects are wanted for conspiracy, grievous assault, dangerous driving, attempted murder and snatching of a police rifle.
According to the statement, the incident occurred around 1:20 p.m. on July 9 at the All Saints Roundabout along Abakaliki Road, Enugu.
Ndukwe explained that operatives of the Distress Response Squad responded after receiving intelligence from the command’s control room that the driver and conductor had allegedly assaulted a traffic police officer performing his duties
.
The police team subsequently intercepted and flagged down the commercial bus, but the driver allegedly resisted arrest and attempted to flee.
“However, rather than submitting to arrest, the driver deceptively slowed down before suddenly accelerating in an attempt to escape.
“In the process, he knocked down one of the operatives and dragged away the officer’s AK-47 rifle, which was entangled with the vehicle.
“During the ensuing pursuit, the suspects threw the rifle out of the vehicle at IMT Bus Stop along the same road before speeding off. The rifle was immediately recovered intact, with its ammunition,” the statement said.
Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mamman Giwa, directed a full-scale investigation and ordered security operatives to intensify efforts to track down and prosecute the fleeing suspects.
He also called on the driver and conductor to surrender themselves for investigation, warning that every lawful measure was being taken to ensure their arrest.
Giwa further urged residents to ignore what he described as false and misleading accounts of the incident, while cautioning the public against assaulting or obstructing police officers carrying out their lawful responsibilities.
He stressed that anyone found attacking or obstructing law enforcement officers would face the full weight of the law.
