The statement said the assailants launched the attack without provocation, prompting a swift response from the police operatives.
The Enugu State Police Command has confirmed that gunmen attacked a police checkpoint on Thursday night along Agbani Road in Enugu, killing two police officers and setting a patrol vehicle ablaze.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, the attack occurred on the night of January 15, 2026, when suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), opened fire on a Police Distress Response Squad team.
The statement said the assailants launched the attack without provocation, prompting a swift response from the police operatives.
“The operatives responded promptly, forcing the assailants to flee with varying degrees of gunshot injuries,” the police said.
During the exchange of gunfire, the police operational vehicle was set on fire, while two officers sustained severe gunshot wounds. The injured officers were rushed to a hospital for emergency treatment but were later confirmed dead by medical personnel.
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, ordered an intensified manhunt for the attackers and directed tactical and intelligence units to deploy all available resources to track down the fleeing suspects.
“The Commissioner of Police has charged operatives to leverage actionable intelligence and sustain the established trail to ensure that the assailants are arrested and brought to justice,” the statement said.
The police also confirmed the recovery of a Lexus 330 jeep allegedly used by the gunmen during the attack.
The vehicle, which was earlier snatched from its owner, was found riddled with bullet holes from the exchange of gunfire.
CP Giwa appealed to members of the public to assist the police with credible information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects, assuring residents that their identities would be protected.
“The Command remains resolute and committed to ensuring that subversive and violent criminal elements do not evade justice,” the police said.
As of the time of filing this report, security patrols had been intensified in the area, while investigations into the attack were ongoing.
On December 29, 2025, SaharaReporters reported a similar incident in which gunmen ambushed a police patrol team in Enugu metropolis, killing two officers and setting their patrol vehicle on fire.
That earlier attack occurred on the night of December 27 along Zik Avenue, near Good Shepherd Specialist Hospital in the Uwani area of the state capital.
The slain officers were identified as Inspectors Valentine Iheme and Anayo Ede, both attached to the Distress Response Squad (DRS) of the Enugu State Police Command.
Police sources said the officers were on routine patrol when they were ambushed by about six armed men who arrived in an ash-coloured Lexus RX 350 SUV.
The attackers reportedly opened fire at close range, killing the officers instantly, before shooting the fuel tank of their Hilux patrol vehicle, which burst into flames and was completely destroyed
Three AK-47 rifles, each loaded with 30 rounds of live ammunition, were also reportedly stolen during that attack.
While police authorities have not publicly linked the two incidents, senior officers said investigations were ongoing and described the attacks as possibly targeted.