Gunmen kill priest, sergeant in Imo, steal car, rifle

Gunmen have killed a Catholic priest, Rev Fr. Jude Egbuom, in Nkwerre, Nkwerre Local Government Area of Imo State and made away with his car.
Our correspondent gathered that Fr. Egbuom was till his death, the priest in charge of St Patrick’s Catholic Parish, Amucha, in Njaba Local Government Area of the state.
He hailed from Umuwala, a village in Nkwerre Community.
He was attacked around 8pm on Monday when he went to a barbers shop along Anara-Nkwerre road in Nkwerre town to have a haircut when his attackers ambushed him.
His killers were said to have reacted to his refusal to hand over his car keys to them by shooting him and another person in his vehicle.
Barely 24 hours after, a police sergeant identified as Christian Nnamani was shot dead by gunmen in Owerri the state capital. The killers, were said to have made away with the AK47 riffle belonging to the slain cop, and also shot a bystander.
Our correspondent gathered that the incident happened around 9pm on Tuesday at Control Post Roundabout junction, opposite Assumpta Catholic Church, Owerri Arch Diocesan Cathedral headquarters.
A witness told our correspondent on Wednesday that some police officers were on a road duty when the gunmen struck.
The police spokesman in the state, SP Andrew Enwerem, who had earlier confirmed the killing of the priest, told our correspondent in a phone interview that after killing the sergeant, the criminals fled with his rifle.
The police spokesman said the bystander who was hit by a bullet was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, where he was treated.
Enwerem said the police had commenced investigation into the matter, adding that the Commissioner of Police, Dasuki Galadanchi, had given marching orders to investigators to quickly arrest the fleeing killers.
He said: “Yes, it is true. We lost a police sergeant last night (Tuesday). Sergeant Christian Nnamani, attached to Mobile Police 18 Owerri, was on a stop-and-search duty with his colleagues at Control Post junction Owerri when the incident happened.
“On sighting the sergeant who was the last guard man, the hoodlums who were in a green Golf car shot him dead and made away with his AK 47 riffle.”