Ebonyi Police Intelligence Chief Dies After Slumping at Command Meeting
The Ebonyi State Police Command has been thrown into deep mourning following the sudden death of Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ogbon-Inu Taiwo Popoola, who was the Officer 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 the Senior Officer suddenly developed breathing difficulties and began gasping for air, prompting an emergency response.
He was immediately rushed to the Police Medical Centre located within the command premises, where medical personnel made efforts to stabilise him. However, he was later confirmed dead by doctors.
Preliminary medical reports indicated that the Assistant Commissioner died from cardiac arrest associated with hypertensive heart disease. His remains have since 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, described Popoola’s death as sudden and unexpected.
“Yes, one of our Senior Officers had a medical crisis during a meeting and was rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, he did not survive. He was not sick before the incident. If he had been ill, he would not have attended the meeting,” Ukandu said.
He described the late Officer as a committed and professional Policeman who served the Nigeria Police Force with dedication.
“The late Popoola was a dedicated Officer who discharged his duties with commitment and professionalism. His death is a huge loss to the command and the Force at large,” the Police spokesman added.
The passing of the Intelligence Chief has left Officers and Men of the Command in shock, as he was regarded as a key figure in the operational and intelligence framework of the Ebonyi State Police Command.
Meanwhile, the incident recalls a similar tragedy recorded earlier in the year. In April, an Inspector of Police, Stephen Enang, reportedly collapsed and died shortly after watching Arsenal defeat Real Madrid 3–0 in a football match.
Enang, who was attached to the Akim Police Division along IBB Way in Calabar and hailed from Ekori in Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State, was said to be an ardent football fan.
A close friend who witnessed the incident at a viewing centre on Abang-Asang Street said the inspector was in high spirits throughout the match, cheering enthusiastically with every goal.
“We were watching the match and he was extremely happy, jumping up and celebrating. After the final whistle, when people started leaving, we noticed Stephen was not standing up. That was when we realised something was wrong,” the witness recounted.
Enang was rushed to the Police Hospital in Akim, where efforts to revive him proved unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead. Colleagues described him as soft-spoken, friendly and deeply passionate about football, noting that his sudden death came as a shock to all who knew him.
