The Kogi State Police Command has launched an investigation into the deaths of two police corporals after a male officer allegedly shot his girlfriend, a fellow corporal, before turning an AK-47 rifle on himself.
The incident reportedly occurred around 9pm on Friday at the Ajaokuta division of the command.
The deceased officers were identified as Corporal Amos and Woman Corporal Grace.
According to a source familiar with the incident, Amos was assigned to night-duty station guard and had reportedly resumed duty around 6pm before allegedly abandoning his post and heading to Grace’s quarters.
He was said to have opened fire on the female officer, hitting her shoulder, lower abdomen and leg, before allegedly shooting himself with his service rifle.
The incident was reportedly preceded by months of disagreements in their romantic relationship, with trust issues and accusations of infidelity allegedly fuelling repeated confrontations.
The source claimed that the relationship had deteriorated to the point of physical fights and threats, prompting the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) to intervene.
Both officers were reportedly detained at some point following their disagreements, after which the DCO advised them to end the relationship to prevent further trouble.
Despite the intervention, the dispute allegedly persisted until Friday’s shooting.
The source said the officers had been dating for several years but began experiencing serious trust issues and accusations of cheating in recent months. Their disagreements reportedly escalated into physical confrontations and threats, leading to their detention and the DCO’s advice that they separate.
The source further alleged that Amos fired three shots at Grace before killing himself.
However, the police have yet to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths, urging the public not to draw conclusions before the investigation is completed.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Afusat Saliu, confirmed that the command was aware of the incident and had commenced an investigation.
She said the police would provide an update after investigators had established the facts surrounding the deaths.
Saliu also declined to immediately confirm whether the deceased were officers attached to the command, explaining that she was awaiting a conclusive report.
She cautioned against classifying the incident as a murder-suicide before the investigation was concluded, adding that the command would issue an official statement when more details became available.
The investigation is expected to determine the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting and establish exactly what happened at the officers’ quarters.
