It is mourning time for the Abia State Police Command as it lost two Police Inspectors who were shot dead in Aba on Monday.

A police source disclosed that the men lost their lives during a gun duel with suspected armed robbers which also left many other policemen with varying degrees of bullet injuries.

The source, which spoke with News Express under anonymity, said the men were members of the Police Patrol Team from Azuka Police Division in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State.

He said a few others in the team who had bullet injuries from the gun battle were taken to an undisclosed hospital for medical attention

News Express gathered that the incident took place near Opobo junction, along Aba-Ikot Ekpene Expressway after the gunmen, who rode on motorcycles, had robbed a supermarket near Ukaegbu Road close to the expressway.

The robbers, who were said to be returning to a nearby village, opened fire on the anti-crime police team on sighing them, killing the two inspectors on the spot.

Abia State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Onyeke Udeviotu, confirmed that the incident happened at Ogbor-Hill area of the commercial city.

He said: “Azuka Police Division got a distress call from a resident that armed robbers were operating in their area. The team was dispatched to the place, but unfortunately, the robbers had finished their operation and were on their way back when they met the police team and opened fire on them.

“Two of our men were shot dead while others that sustained injuries were rushed to the hospital for medical attention. We have gone to the place where the incident happened, but the victims said that they were not able to recognise the face of the robbers.”

Udeviotu, however, assured that the police were making frantic efforts to track down the gunmen and asked members of the public with useful information on the whereabouts of the robbers to make such available to the police.

•Photo shows IGP Solomon Arase.