According to information gathered by NewsXtra, the incident happened at around 8 p.m. on Monday, sending motorists and commuters scattering along the major expressway in fear.
An anonymous source told NewsXtra that the attackers rode motorcycles to target the police officers on duty.
When the gunmen arrived at the intersection, they immediately began firing on the officers stationed there. The officers immediately returned fire, resulting in a chaotic exchange of gunfire. Those who rushed to the scene after the gunfire subsided saw a police officer dead and one of the assailants dead.
SP Chris Anyanwu, the Public Relations Officer for the Ebonyi State Police, confirmed the incident when he was contacted.
According to SP Anyanwu, during the confrontation between the Police and the unknown gunmen on Monday night, one police officer and one of the gunmen were killed.
The outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have threatened to shut down the South-East for five days. As a result, parents of students at various Unity Schools in Ebonyi State have demanded the immediate closure of the schools.
Parents flocked to schools in the wee hours of Tuesday, demanding the release of their children and wards before the sit-at-home order, which the secessionist group has said will begin on Friday.
“We are here to demand the release of our children,” Mrs Grace Ofor, one of the parents, said. “They have finished their exams, and I don’t see why they are still keeping them here. IPOB announced that they will shut down the South-East from Friday this week till Wednesday next week, and nobody knows how long it will last, so we urge them to let our kids go.”
Holy Rosary School in the state will be closed on Thursday so students can comply with the sit-at-home order issued by the Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki.
Similarly, many events in the state have been postponed, including funerals, weddings, and other social gatherings.
