Ugwu was shot dead on Tuesday by his 23-year-old lover, who was identified as Amanda Uchechi Ugo, a native of Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State.

It was gathered from reliable sources that the incident occurred around 6:30pm on Boxing Day at the Ezinihitte Area Command.

Officers on counter duty were said to have heard three gunshots from the room being occupied by the deceased officer.

“When police officers ran into the room to see what was going on, they found Corporal Ugwu lying in a pool of his blood. The girl shot him three times on his chest and his left hand. He was rushed immediately to Evergreen Hospital in Ezinihitte, where he was pronounced dead by the doctor on duty,” a source told our correspondent on Wednesday.

Our correspondent learnt that the deceased had a serious fight with his girlfriend, and in the course of the altercation, the girl reached for his rifle, pulled the trigger and shot him three times.

The source added, “Nobody actually knows what went wrong between the two, but how the girl was able to use a police rifle successfully is still a surprise to many. Maybe, Ugwu was the one who taught her.”

The remains of the slain officer had been deposited at the Obizi mortuary, while further investigation continues.

The suspect is currently in police custody for interrogation and possible prosecution.

When contacted by our correspondent, the Police Public Relations Officer in Imo State, Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident, saying the police were doing everything to ascertain what really transpired.

“Yes, the incident happened. A policeman was allegedly shot dead by his girlfriend. He was serving at Ezinihitte Mbaise.

“Currently, the girl involved has been arrested. We are doing everything to ensure we investigate the matter to ascertain the facts and possibly arraign the suspect in court,” Okoye stated in a telephone conversation.