A group of unidentified gunmen, on Wednesday, reportedly killed a police officer attached to the Aba Area Command of the Nigeria Police Force after attacking a warehouse in Aba, Abia State.
The deceased cop was identified simply as Nma Agha.
It was learnt that before the incident, the gunmen had invaded a warehouse located on Clifford Road in the Aba South Local Government Area of the state, where they carted away huge sums of money from the owners.
Sources at the scene said the gunmen also shot a worker at the warehouse, who was later rushed to a private hospital on East Road for medical attention, as he was bleeding profusely.
It was gathered that the hoodlums had finished robbing the warehouse and were on their way out when they sighted a police team that had gone for another duty not too far from the scene of the incident and opened fire on the operatives.
It was learnt that the police operatives, who were caught unawares, could not respond to the shooting.
They later discovered that one of their colleagues was hit by bullets from the hoodlums and they could do nothing to save him.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Geoffrey Ogbonna, confirmed the death of the officer in a telephone chat with our correspondent, adding that investigation into the matter had commenced.
He said the police had launched a manhunt for the hoodlums in order to arrest and bring them to justice.
Meanwhile, residents of Aba have expressed apprehension over the continued attack on warehouse owners and security personnel in the city by hoodlums, saying the development needed to be checked before it would escalate.