The Enugu State Police Command has launched a manhunt for the driver and conductor of a Mitsubishi L300 commercial bus over the alleged assault of police officers, attempted murder, dangerous driving and the snatching of an AK-47 rifle during a dramatic escape in Enugu.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, July 12, 2026, saying the incident occurred at about 1:20 p.m. on July 9 at the All Saints Roundabout along Abakaliki Road, Enugu.
According to the statement, the suspects were initially flagged by operatives of the Command’s Distress Response Squad (DRS) after the Control Room received a report that they had assaulted a traffic police officer on duty.
Ndukwe explained that rather than submit to arrest, the driver pretended to comply before suddenly accelerating in an attempt to flee.
“Acting on information received from the Command’s Control Room that the driver and conductor had assaulted a traffic police officer on duty, operatives of the Command’s Distress Response Squad (DRS) intercepted and flagged down the vehicle. However, instead of submitting to arrest, the driver deceptively slowed down before suddenly accelerating in an attempt to escape,” he stated.
The police spokesperson said the fleeing vehicle knocked down one of the DRS operatives, while the officer’s AK-47 rifle became entangled with the bus and was dragged away during the escape.
“In the process, he knocked down one of the operatives and dragged away the officer’s AK-47 rifle, which had become entangled with the vehicle,” Ndukwe added.
He said that during a hot pursuit, the suspects eventually threw the rifle out of the moving vehicle at IMT Bus Stop along Abakaliki Road before speeding off.
“During the ensuing pursuit, the suspects threw the rifle out of the vehicle at IMT Bus Stop along the same road before speeding off. The rifle was immediately recovered intact, with its ammunition,” he said.
Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, ordered a full-scale investigation and directed operatives to intensify efforts to apprehend and prosecute the fleeing suspects.
According to Ndukwe, the police commissioner also urged the driver and conductor to surrender themselves to the police, warning that every lawful measure was being deployed to ensure their arrest.
“CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa… has ordered a comprehensive investigation and intensified efforts to arrest and prosecute the fleeing suspects. He warned the driver and conductor to voluntarily present themselves to the Police for proper investigation, as every lawful measure is being deployed to apprehend them,” the statement read.
The commissioner also urged members of the public to ignore what he described as misleading accounts of the incident and warned against obstructing or attacking police officers performing their lawful duties.
“CP Giwa further urged the public to disregard misleading narratives surrounding the incident and cautioned against assaulting or obstructing police officers in the lawful discharge of their duties, stressing that such acts are serious criminal offences that will be dealt with decisively in accordance with the law,” Ndukwe stated.
