Rivers policeman mistakenly kills colleague, commits suicide

A policeman, Inspector Nelson Abuante, has committed suicide after he mistakenly shot dead a colleague, one Inspector Monday Gbaramana, during an attempt to arrest a suspect in Rivers State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the incident happened on Sunday afternoon at Nyogor-Lueku, Khana Local Government Area of the state.

The two officers attached to Taabaa Division were said to have gone to Nyogor-Lueku to arrest one Mr. Akere Akpobari over some allegations made against him by his mother.

Our correspondent learnt that the said Akere had resisted the arrest, leading to a brawl between him and the two Inspectors.

“In the course of the altercation, Inspector Nelson Abuante mistakenly shot Gbaramana and he sustained serious injuries. So, Abuante and Akere’s mother tried to rush the injured officer to the hospital,” a source said.

But, on the way to the hospital, the car conveying them ran out of fuel and Inspector Monday died in the process.

“Immediately Abuante discovered that his colleague had died, he carried his gun and shot himself to death,” PUNCH Metro was told.

The bodies of the two officers had been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in Rivers, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident.

Inringe-Koko said investigations were ongoing into the incident.

“Yes, the incident happened. We are investigating to unravel what really happened,” she said in a terse message.