One Dies as Police Patrols Exchange Gunfire in Aba, Mistaking Each Other for IPOB Members

In a startling incident on Wednesday in Abia State, Nigeria, police officers reportedly exchanged gunfire after mistaking each other for members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The shootout, which took place in the Alaoji area of Aba, the state’s commercial hub, has prompted an investigation by the Abia State Police Command.

Confusion Leads to Gunfire

The incident occurred when two police patrol teams—one from the Aba Police Area Command and another from Umuahia, the state capital—encountered each other. According to eyewitnesses, the team from Umuahia was operating in commercial buses, leading the Aba team to believe they were IPOB members, a separatist group known for its agitation for an independent Biafran state.

The misidentification reportedly led to a tense exchange of gunfire, causing panic in the vicinity of the Alaoji Motor Spare Parts Market, located along the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway. Local residents and shop owners fled the scene to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Tragically, a truck driver lost his life after being struck by a stray bullet during the chaos.

Police Response and Ongoing Investigation

Following the incident, the Abia State Police Command issued a statement on Thursday, clarifying the situation. Police spokesperson Maureen Chinaka, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, confirmed that the police are investigating the matter but downplayed the possibility that the officers mistook each other for IPOB members.

“From our preliminary investigation, there is no credible evidence to suggest that police officers mistook themselves for members of IPOB and fired at each other,” Ms. Chinaka stated. “What we can confirm is that there was a shooting in that area, which resulted in the death of a civilian.”

Ms. Chinaka urged anyone with information about the incident to come forward to assist with the ongoing investigation.

The IPOB, which has been linked to several violent incidents in Nigeria’s South-east and South-south regions, remains a significant concern for security forces in the area.