Not less than five police officers were on Thursday killed by gunmen in separate incidents in Enugu and Ibadan, Oyo State.
In Enugu gunmen attacked a checkpoint in Enugu South LGA, killing three officers.
The gunmen were said to have shot sporadically in the area after killing the officers.
The state police spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, who confirmed the incident, however, said the details are still sketchy, adding that security operatives are currently on the trail of the attackers.
Similarly, in Ibadan, dare devil armed robbers numbering about seven, waylaid the cash-laden van around Idi Ape area of at about 1:00 p.m. carting away with an unspecified amount of money and killing two police officers, as well as two others in the process.
The bullion van was coming from Iwo Road Area when it was attacked by the robbers who shot sporadically into the air to scare the passersby, a witness who preferred anonymity told NAN.
The witness said that the robbers drove in a white Sienna space bus from where they engaged the police officers escorting the van in a gun duel.
The witness said that two police officers lost their lives while others got injured during the crossfire and stray bullets also killed two other civilians that included a motorcyclist.
Commissioner of Police Ngozi Onadeko, who visited the scene of the crime, confirmed that the slain officers were shot in the neck.
Mrs Onadeko also said that the officers killed one of the robbers but the corpse was taken away by the robbery gang.
The CP said that the police in conjunction with other security agencies in the state were collaborating to arrest the robbers, adding that more details would be provided to the public on the matter
She stated that the state has been locked down to prevent escape of the robbers.
