An Operative of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Awkuzu, Anambra State, was on Tuesday shot dead while accompanying his colleague to effect an arrest in the early hours of the morning by some policemen who mistook him for an armed robber.

The incident, it was gathered, took place at Alor community in Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.

Information gathered by News Express has it that the deceased SARS operative whose identity was yet to be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, accompanied his colleagueto effect an arrest at about 4:30 a.m.

According to the source, the SARS operatives were handcuffing their suspect when an eyewitness, who did not know that they were policemen or SARS operatives, alerted some nearby policemen attached to some personalities within the neighbourhood that some armed robbers/kidnappers were trying to abduct someone.

It was learnt that as soon as the policemen arrived the scene and saw the SARS operatives, who were apparently on mufti, they allegedly opened fire at once and gunned down the deceased operative, before his colleague identified themselves as SARS operatives on special duty.

In his reaction, the Officer-In-charge of SARS at Awkuzu, Sunday Okpe, told journalists on phone that the deceased operative was one of his subordinates.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Haruna Mohammed (SP), who also spoke on phone said that he was not aware of the incident, adding that he would make some inquiries.