Soldiers Open Fire On Policemen Returning From Anambra Election, One Injured

By IKE UZOR-NZUBECHI

TENSION flared on Sunday when soldiers at a checkpoint along Onitsha Road allegedly opened fire on police officers returning from election duty in Anambra State.

Reports indicate the officers were coming back from the just-concluded governorship poll when an argument broke out between them and soldiers at the checkpoint. One officer was shot in the chest, while others sustained injuries.

A viral video shows fellow officers attempting to stop the bleeding of the wounded policeman using a piece of cloth.

Anambra police spokesperson Ikenga Tochukwu confirmed the incident, describing it as a “misunderstanding” that has since been “resolved.” He added that the injured officer is in stable condition.

Attempts to reach army spokesperson Colonel Appolonia Anele were unsuccessful.

The shooting occurred after the peaceful conclusion of the state’s governorship election, in which Governor Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) secured victory across all 21 local government areas with 422,664 votes, defeating Nicholas Ukachukwu of the APC and other contenders.

Election observers commended the overall peaceful process but criticized voter apathy and vote-buying as lingering threats to Nigeria’s electoral integrity.