Shock gripped residents of Amaeze community in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State on Wednesday after a police inspector, identified only as Shedrack, was gunned down during a violent clash between operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Several others were left injured in the confrontation that has sparked outrage and questions about inter-agency coordination.
Local council chairman, Emmanuel Ajah, confirmed the incident, saying he was briefed by the Divisional Police Officer that the two agencies exchanged gunfire in Amaeze, leading to the officer’s death. “Unfortunately, one police officer lost his life in the process,” Ajah stated.
Eyewitness accounts suggest the tragedy may have been a case of “friendly fire.” A source told our correspondent that Shedrack was allegedly shot by his colleagues during the chaos. “He tried to disarm a civil defence officer, and when other policemen opened fire on the NSCDC van, they mistakenly hit their own man,” the source explained.
The clash reportedly erupted when three Hilux vans carrying about 30 policemen intercepted an NSCDC vehicle transporting mining equipment to a site in Amaeze. The confrontation escalated quickly, with shots fired in multiple directions, leaving Shedrack dead on the spot and several officers injured.
The slain inspector’s body has since been deposited in a morgue, while the injured officers were rushed to a nearby hospital for urgent treatment. Residents described the scene as “chaotic and terrifying,” as gunfire echoed across the usually quiet community.
As of Thursday evening, neither the Ebonyi State Police Command nor the NSCDC has issued an official statement, fueling speculation about the cause of the confrontation and raising concerns over recurring rivalries between security agencies in Nigeria.
Security experts have condemned the incident, warning that unchecked inter-agency rivalries undermine the fight against crime and endanger lives. They called on the federal government to launch a full-scale probe to prevent a repeat of what they described as “avoidable bloodshed between supposed partners in security.”
