Tragedy struck in Enugu Saturday night when the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chinwike Asadu, was shot dead by unknown gunmen.

His police orderly, Aloha Olaniyi and Driver, Oliver Omeh, who were with him at the time of the incident sustained serious bullet wounds and are said to be lying critically at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu.

The incident occurred at Amorji Nike, near the densely populated Abakpa Nike area in Enugu East local government area within the state capital at about 10 pm.

The Police Commissioner, who reportedly visited his home in Enugu at the weekend, was driving into his private residence when the assailants who  may have laid an ambush around his residence attacked him and his aides about 100 metres away from his house.

CP Asadu, according to sources, had a visitor whom he escorted along with his driver and a police orderly posted to guard his residence from Abakpa Police Division, leaving behind the official escort team that came with him from Kwara State Police Command.

They were returning to the house after dropping the visitor when they suddenly noticed a bus trailing them behind as they branched into his street only for the gunmen to start firing at the vehicle from the rear.

The gunmen were said to have shot sporadically killing the CP and wounding the two policemen but before they escaped, they reportedly took away the rifle of the orderly whose body was riddled with bullets.

The orderly was shot on the chest, stomach, hands and leg while the driver was shot on his legs.

"The CP was driving into his personal residence in Amorji Nike after dropping a visitor that night.  He was with a police orderly and his driver at the time of the incident. Just about 100 metres to his house they noticed that a bus was trailing them behind and before they could know what was happening the gunmen opened fire and killed the CP instantly. His orderly and driver were also shot and they were seriously wounded.

"The gunmen ran away  in their bus before the CP's escort team that was inside his compound noticed what was happening.  When the escort team and sympathizers rushed to the scene, they met CP Asadu and his orderlies in a pool of blood.  They were rushed to the National Orthopaedic Hospital where doctors confirmed the CP dead.  The other two policemen are now on admission at the hospital," said the source.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu confirmed the incident when Vanguard contacted him yesterday, describing the attack as very unfortunate.  He said that the CP was on a private visit to his home in Enugu when the incident occurred.

According to him, the police would do everything possible to fish out the assailants as investigations into the bizarre incident have already commenced.

The new Police Commissioner in Enugu State, Mr. Tonye Ebitibituwa, was said to have directed his men to conduct serious manhunt for the gunmen within and outside the state capital in order to track them down without delay.

Meanwhile, doctors at the National Orthopeadic Hospital, Enugu are battling to save the two wounded police officers.  The orderly who was seriously battered by bullets, according to doctors, was said to be in a stable condition after the surgeries conducted on him throughout Saturday night.  The driver was also said to be in a stable condition.