The Edo State Police Command has announced the death of a serving police inspector who was shot and killed while carrying out a routine stop-and-search operation at the Ekiadolor Area Command.

The incident happened around noon on Friday when officers flagged down an unregistered, black, heavily tinted Lexus SUV whose occupants refused to stop. 

The command in a statement issued by CSP Moses Joel Yamu, Police Public Relations Officer, Edo State Command, said the suspicious behaviour of the occupants prompted the officers to insist on a standard security check. In the course of the engagement, one of the suspects reportedly pulled out a weapon and shot the inspector at close range before the vehicle sped off.

Police authorities say a full-scale investigation has begun, alongside an intensive manhunt for the attackers. All intelligence and operational assets, the Command stressed, have been deployed to track down those responsible.

Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, urged residents to remain alert and report any sighting of a vehicle matching the description to the nearest police station or through the emergency numbers 08037646272 and 08077773721. 

He also appealed to the public to cooperate with security agencies as the state moves into the festive season.

The Command reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property and vowed to bring the killers to justice.