Armed internet fraudsters fatally shot an officer after opening fire on a team of anti-graft operatives in Anambra on Friday.
According to the source, the officers were attempting to corner a group of suspected hackers, commonly referred to as Yahoo Boys, when they encountered deadly violence on Friday morning.
One officer was shot killed on the spot and another sustained significant injuries and remained hospitalised in critical condition as of Friday night, according to source.
On the mission, the officers left their zone headquarters in Enugu and travelled to Anambra.
According to an official, a male suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder. His identity was not immediately disclosed, and whether he had contacted a lawyer remained unclear.
The EFCC spokesman promised to learn more about the situation. Anambra’s police spokesperson refrained from commenting right away.
The attack came as Ola Olukoyede, the chairman was recalibrating the agency’s protocol on raiding white-collar criminals.
Until recently, Yahoo Boys were often thought to be unarmed and so simple to apprehend.
An assistant superintendent who had just finished a promotional exam was recognised as the deceased officer according to source.
The incident has raised concerns among anti-graft operatives regarding the agency’s lack of adequate personnel insurance.
“We no longer have life insurance,” an officer disclosed anonymously, highlighting that compensation for fallen officers’ families had not been issued since the tenure of Farida Waziri.
Another officer lamented the situation, saying, “The families of the officer that died today won’t be getting anything. So can we say he died for nothing?”