A police inspector with the Nigeria Police Force, identified as Okechukwu Ezema, has been reportedly shot dead in Anambra State after he was allegedly caught in the act of robbing Point of Sale (POS) agents in a local community.
According to findings by Chronicles Reporters, Inspector Ezema, along with a group of officers, was said to have been regularly extorting POS agents in the area under the guise of law enforcement activities.
Local residents disclosed that the officers had become infamous for harassing POS operators along Orodo Road, particularly after the Umueze Nwaoriubi section, often intimidating business owners while disguised as conducting legitimate arrests.
It was gathered that during the most recent incident, a civilian also lost his life. A disturbing video clip seen by Chronicles Reporters captures the motionless bodies of two individuals lying in a pool of blood. In the video, voices can be heard arguing over one of the deceased, with one person saying, “This is not the commander,” and another asserting, “This is the commander.”
Sources revealed that the fatal encounter occurred on Thursday, July 17, 2025, when residents and local youths mobilized and confronted the officers during one of their illicit operations. A separate video, lasting over five minutes, shows a police officer being publicly paraded by a furious crowd, who repeatedly accuse him of theft.
It remains unverified whether the officer seen in the second video being humiliated is the same person who was fatally shot or one of the individuals lying dead in the first clip.
A community source stated, “The youth caught him red-handed. He and his team had been going around, forcefully collecting money from POS attendants. This time, he couldn’t escape.”
An internal police communication accessed by Chronicles Reporters confirmed the inspector’s death. However, the official report claims the officers were on a legitimate mission to effect an arrest.
The internal message read, “SAD NEWS: ONE INSPECTOR OKECHUKWU EZEMA SERVING AT NWAORIUBI DIVISIONAL HEADQUARTERS, ANAMBRA STATE, HAS BEEN SHOT DEAD THIS AFTERNOON, THURSDAY, 17TH JULY, 2025, ALONG ORODO ROAD AFTER UMUEZE NWAORIUBI ON HIS WAY TO ARREST.
“HE WAS KILLED TOGETHER WITH A CIVILIAN, WHILE THE TWO CONSTABLES HE WENT WITH RAN AWAY.
“MAY HIS GENTLE SOUL REST IN PEACE. AMEN.”
Nonetheless, members of the community insist that Ezema and his men frequently used a commercial vehicle to move discreetly while allegedly robbing POS vendors.
A youth leader in the area told Chronicles Reporters, “They’ve been doing this for a while now. Today, only one officer was caught while the others escaped, abandoning the bus they used for their illegal activities.”
As of the time of this report, the Anambra State Police Command had not issued an official statement regarding the development. Multiple efforts to contact the command’s spokesperson, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, were unsuccessful.
In a related development, Chronicles Reporters had previously reported that the police high command recently issued a new internal security guideline to officers across the country. This followed a rise in violent incidents involving off-duty officers being mistaken for criminal elements while carrying weapons in plain clothes.
The exclusive directive, obtained by Chronicles Reporters, was issued from the Office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Protection, based at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Dated July 17, 2025, and referenced as CB:0900/DOPS/SPU/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.9/29 SE, the document was dispatched to police divisions in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Affected states include Lagos, Kano, Benin, Yola, Port Harcourt, Sokoto, Umuahia, Owerri, Calabar, Enugu, Akure, Abeokuta, and others.
The directive strongly cautioned police personnel, especially those stationed in conflict-prone or high-risk areas, to exercise maximum vigilance while in possession of firearms outside duty hours and when dressed in civilian attire.
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