Enugu State Police Command confirmed on Sunday, July 12, 2026, that one suspect was shot dead after operatives of the Distress Response Squad intercepted a driver and conductor at All Saints Roundabout along Abakaliki Road after the control room received a report that they had assaulted a traffic police officer on duty.
Police Public Relations Officer SP Daniel Ndukwe said in a statement that the incident occurred at approximately 1:20 p.m. on July 9, 2026. When operatives arrived, the driver initially pretended to comply before suddenly accelerating in an attempt to flee. The DRS operatives gave chase and the vehicle was eventually forced to a stop. During the confrontation, one suspect sustained a fatal gunshot wound and died on the spot.
Passengers Were Robbery Victims
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Ndukwe said when officers searched the vehicle, they discovered it had been used to rob passengers. The suspects were identified as the driver and conductor of an inter-state commercial bus that had picked up passengers on a major route in the state. The robbery victims were still inside the vehicle when police intercepted it.
Two other suspects escaped during the confrontation and were being pursued by police as of the time of the report. The police confirmed that the recovered victims were debriefed and referred to appropriate support services. Weapons and stolen property were recovered from the vehicle.
One-Chance Robbery on the Rise
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The Enugu incident is part of a broader pattern of one-chance armed robbery targeting public transport passengers that security agencies have been fighting across southeastern states. The FCT Police had earlier in July paraded a similar syndicate that specialised in abducting female victims using tinted vehicles. Civil society groups called on state governments to install CCTV cameras at major motor parks and along key road corridors to deter such crimes. Furthermore, the National Bus Transport Operators Association urged its members to register all vehicles and employees with relevant authorities to make it easier to trace vehicles used in crimes. Consequently, one-chance robbery remains one of the most feared public safety threats for urban commuters across multiple Nigerian states.
