Ebonyi ACP slumps and dies during official meeting

An Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ogbon-Inu Taiwo Popoola, has died in Ebonyi State.

A police source, who spoke to PUNCH Metro on Thursday on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorisation, said the incident occurred around 11am on Tuesday while he was attending a management meeting at the command headquarters in Abakaliki.

PUNCH Metro reports that until his sudden death, Popoola was the officer in charge of the State Intelligence Department.

According to the source, he suddenly developed breathing difficulties and began gasping for air during the meeting.

“He was immediately rushed to the Police Medical Centre at the Police Headquarters in Abakaliki, where he was promptly attended to by medical personnel,” the source added.

Despite efforts to resuscitate him, he was confirmed dead by doctors. Preliminary medical findings indicated that the cause of death was cardiac arrest related to hypertensive heart disease.

Our correspondent gathered that his remains have been deposited at the morgue of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki.

The police spokesperson in the state, DSP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Thursday.

He said, “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.”

According to Ukandu, the late Popoola was a dedicated officer who served the Force with commitment and professionalism.