The Ebonyi State Police Command has been thrown into mourning following the sudden death of Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ogbon-Inu Taiwo Popoola, who was in charge of the State Intelligence Department.
Gatekeepers News reports that Popoola reportedly collapsed on Tuesday morning during a management meeting at the command headquarters in Abakaliki.
Eyewitnesses said the senior officer developed breathing difficulties and began gasping for air before he was rushed to the Police Medical Centre within the headquarters. Despite prompt medical attention, doctors later confirmed his death.
Preliminary medical findings indicated that Popoola died from cardiac arrest linked to hypertensive heart disease. His remains have been deposited at the morgue of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Joshua Ukandu, said the officer’s death came without any prior warning.
“Yes, one of them had a crisis during a meeting and was rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, he didn’t survive. He was not sick before the incident. If he were sick, he wouldn’t have attended the meeting,” Ukandu said.
Ukandu described the late officer as a committed professional who served the Nigeria Police Force with dedication.
“The late Popoola was a dedicated officer who served the Force with commitment and professionalism,” he added.
The sudden passing of the intelligence chief has left officers and men of the command in shock, as the command mourns the loss of a senior officer who played a key role in its operations.
Meanwhile, the incident comes barely months after the death of an Inspector of Police, Stephen Enang, who reportedly collapsed and died in April shortly after watching Arsenal defeat Real Madrid 3–0.
Enang, a native of Ekori in Yakurr Local Government Area, was attached to the Akim Police Division along IBB Way in Calabar. He was said to have been in high spirits while watching the match at a viewing centre on Abang-Asang Street.
A close friend who witnessed the incident and requested anonymity said Enang was visibly excited throughout the game.
“We were watching the match. He was cheering every goal, jumping up in excitement multiple times. But after the final whistle, when everyone started leaving, we noticed Stephen wasn’t getting up like the rest of us. That’s when we realised something was wrong,” the witness said.
The inspector was immediately taken to the Police Hospital in Akim, where efforts to revive him failed and he was pronounced dead.
Describing him as “soft-spoken, football-loving, and an ardent Arsenal supporter,” the witness said Enang’s sudden death came as a huge shock to friends and colleagues.
