Police Inspector Killed in Anambra After Clash with DSS Operatives

A tragic case of inter-agency conflict has claimed the life of a police inspector attached to the 29 Police Mobile Force (PMF) in Awka, following a confrontation with operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Uli, Ihiala Local Government Area, Anambra State.

The incident occurred around 5:50 p.m. on June 24, during a stop-and-search operation conducted by mobile police officers along the Onitsha/Owerri Expressway, near Danaks Filling Station.

According to security sources, a team of police officers flagged down an unmarked Toyota Sienna driving against traffic. The vehicle, which emerged from a side road, raised suspicion, prompting the officers to demand a search.

However, occupants of the vehicle—dressed in black and wielding assault rifles—reportedly refused to cooperate. Witnesses from the police side say the confrontation escalated when the occupants opened fire, striking Inspector Bello Abdulahi in the lower ribs.

Abdulahi was rushed to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Ihiala and later transferred to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital in Nnewi, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His remains have been deposited in the morgue for autopsy and preservation.

The shooters, later confirmed to be DSS operatives linked to the Ihiala Local Government Secretariat, reportedly fled the scene immediately after the shooting.

Security analyst Zagazola Makama suggested it was likely a case of mistaken identity, but the DSS headquarters in Awka has been notified and an investigation is underway.

The incident has sparked widespread concern and renewed calls for better coordination and communication between Nigeria’s security agencies to prevent such deadly encounters in the future.