Gunmen have reportedly snatched two guns from police officers who were on a stop-and-search operation in Aba the commercial nerve of Abia State.
It was gathered that the incident happened on Wednesday night along Faulks road by Osusu junction in Aba North local government area.
According to The Nation, while reports have it that the gunmen arrived in a Hilux SUV, others claimed that they arrived in a commercial tricycle, catching the police officers on duty off guard.
The gunmen were reported to have made away with the guns after overpowering the policemen.
Residents and shop owners in the area said the incident forced them to close shops abruptly to avoid being caught in the web of the melee.
The state police spokesman, Geoffrey Ogbonna, is yet to comment on the incident as he did not pick up calls or respond to text messages, The Nation reports.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has approved the imposition of an immediate ban on the operational hours of commercial tricycle operators in the state.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barr. Chris Ezem, in a statement on Thursday said Ikpeazu banned Keke operation starting from 7pm to 6am daily till further notice.
Ikpeazu, who cited the rise in crime wave in the State reportedly committed by hoodlums operating in commercial tricycles, directed security agencies to arrest, detain and prosecute offenders.
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