cording to an eyewitness, the soldier refused to comply with the search, leading the officers to attempt to seize his motorcycle.

In the ensuing scuffle, a firearm discharged, fatally striking a bystander and injuring three others. Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, CP Anthonia Uche-Anya, confirmed the incident in a phone call with Channels Television.

“Policemen on stop-and-search duty stopped the purported soldier, who refused to be searched, leading to a scuffle. While trying to disarm one of the police operatives, the weapon discharged, hitting a bystander. It wasn’t an intentional shooting,” the CP explained.

She added that the injured individuals are receiving treatment at a hospital, while the deceased’s body has been moved to a morgue.

“The injured are responding to treatment, and both the soldier and the policeman involved are in custody. We’ve confirmed that the individual is indeed a soldier, and investigations are ongoing,” Uche-Anya stated.