A couple and five police operatives were on Friday killed by gunmen in Okpala Junction, Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State.
The coupled identified as Mr and Mrs Chinaka Nwagu hailed from Amankwo Okpala community in the state.
The junction and community have since been thrown into panic as commercial activities in the area were grounded temporarily.
A relative to the couple told Punch that the slain policemen had come over from the neighbouring Abo Mbaise police division to eat at the junction.
According to the source who identified himself as Uche, the gunmen drove to the junction and opened fire on the officers while they were eating.
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The eyewitness said three of the policemen died on the spot as two others ran off to take refuge inside a shop. However, the gunmen chased and caught up with them before killing them and the couple who own the shop.
The gunmen were said to have carted away the rifles of the slain officers after killing them.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Imo, Henry Okoye, said he was yet to be briefed on incident as of press time.
Daily Report Nigeria recalls that some fleeing gunmen ambushed and killed five personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in the same Ngor Okpala LGA on March 27.
