Soldiers at a checkpoint along Onitsha Road opened fire on police officers returning from official duty in Anambra State.
The police officers, according to Sahara Reporters, were returning from the just-concluded governorship election in the southeastern state, when an argument ensued between them and the soldiers at a checkpoint in Anambra on Sunday.
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One officer was reportedly shot on his chest, while others sustained injuries. A video seen by our reporter shows some police officers trying to rescue a shirtless man believed to be their colleague.
The officers, as seen in the video, were using a piece of cloth to stem the flow of blood from the man’s chest.
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“Happening now on our way coming back from Anambra State election, we had a misunderstanding with army personnel at a military checkpoint,” a police officer was quoted saying. “Before we knew what was going on, they opened fire on us. One of us was shot directly on his chest, with many other policemen injured.”
Ikenganiya Anthony, the police spokesperson in Anambra, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES, saying the “misunderstanding” had been “resolved.”
Mr Anthony said the officer shot by the soldiers is “very stable,” reiterating that the issue has been settled.
The army spokesperson, Appolonia Anele, a colonel, could not be reached by phone. Her line was not reachable and a message sent to her has not been responded to.
Police deployment
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, in the build up to the election, said 45,000 police personnel would be deployed for the 8 gvernorship election, which was won by the incumbent, Charles Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Mr Soludo, a professor and former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was declared winner of the election, after winning in all the 21 local government areas of the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said Mr Soludo polled 422,664 votes to defeat his closest challenger and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nicholas Ukachukwu, who polled 99,445 votes.
INEC added that the Young Progressives Party candidate, Paul Chukwuma, came third with 37,753 votes while his counterpart from the Labour Party, George Moghalu, claimed the fourth position in the election with 10,576 votes.
READ ALSO: ANALYSIS: Anambra 2025: Factors that powered Soludo’s landslide victory
Election Observation groups, including Yiaga Africa, commended the peaceful conduct of the election, corroborating the results announced by INEC.
However, they decried voters’ apathy and vote buying, describing it as “a major threat to the credibility of the electoral process.”
The observers called for a reform of Nigeria’s electoral system to enhance logistical efficiency and public confidence.
