The Ebonyi State Police Command has been thrown into mourning following the sudden death of a senior officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police Ogbon-Inu Taiwo Popoola, who was in charge of the State Intelligence Department.
Popoola reportedly collapsed on Tuesday morning during a management meeting at the command headquarters in Abakaliki.
Eyewitnesses said he suddenly developed breathing difficulties and began gasping for air, prompting colleagues to rush him to the Police Medical Centre within the premises.
Despite prompt medical attention, doctors confirmed him dead shortly after arrival.
Preliminary medical findings indicated that the officer 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 in the state, DSP Joshua Ukandu, said the death came as a shock to the command, noting that the late officer had shown no signs of illness prior to the meeting.
“Yes, one of our senior officers had a crisis during a meeting and was rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately he did not survive. He was not sick before the incident. If he were, he would not have attended the meeting,” Ukandu said.
He described the late Popoola as a committed and professional officer who served the Nigeria Police Force with dedication, adding that his passing was a huge loss to the command.
The sudden death has left officers and men of the command in shock, with many describing Popoola as a key figure in intelligence operations in the state.
The incident recalls a similar tragedy earlier this year when an Inspector of Police, Stephen Enang, reportedly collapsed and died shortly after watching a football match in Calabar.
Enang, who was attached to the Akim Police Division, was said to have been in high spirits while watching Arsenal defeat Real Madrid 3–0 before he slumped after the match and was later pronounced dead at the police hospital.
Both incidents have reignited concerns over the health and welfare of police personnel across the country.
