Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Retired Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kingsley Woke, 56, has been confirmed dead following a targeted gun attack along the Port Harcourt–Umuahia highway in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State, security officials said.
According to the command, the incident occurred late on 7 December 2025, around 11:00 p.m., near Amala Autonomous Community, just past Zion Ministry Church. Woke, who most recently served as Director of Courses at the Police Staff College, Jos, was reportedly travelling from Port Harcourt toward Umuahia when assailants opened fire. He sustained a gunshot wound to the chest and later died despite being rushed to hospital.
The command disclosed that the attackers also abducted several occupants of a second vehicle, believed to be a Lexus, during the ambush — intensifying concerns about multiple victims. In response, the Imo State Police Command, assisted by other security agencies, local vigilante groups, and community hunters, has launched a massive manhunt in the forested bushes and surrounding communities of the Ngor Okpala corridor. Authorities say tactical teams are actively combing the area, with hopes of rescuing any surviving victims and apprehending those responsible.
In an official press statement, Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, affirmed that investigations are ongoing, with early findings confirming that the Highlander driver was killed and the occupants of the Lexus taken. The command has urged the public to remain calm, maintain vigilance, and share any information that might lead to the arrest of the hoodlums behind the atrocity.
The death of Woke — a high-ranking former officer — in such a brazen midnight ambush has shocked many across Imo State and beyond. It underscores a disturbing level of boldness among armed attackers, and raises serious questions about road security across southeastern Nigeria.
Residents and civil society groups have condemned the attack, calling for stronger protection for travellers and swift justice for the slain officer and abducted civilians. Meanwhile, state authorities have reassured the public that all necessary resources are being deployed to restore safety along the hazardous Port Harcourt–Umuahia highway.
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