Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, was thrown into mourning on Tuesday morning, April 22, 2025, following the tragic death of Police Inspector Maxwell Zabu, who reportedly took his own life with a firearm.
According to Naturenex, the incident occurred at Eagle Island, at the residence of a former chairman of Port Harcourt Local Government Area. The case was immediately reported to the Eagle Island Police Post under the Azikiwe Police Division. Detectives were dispatched to the scene to conduct initial inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the officer’s death.
Anxiety has gripped parts of Rivers State in the aftermath of the tragedy, as residents express shock over the incident.
Confirming the development, Grace Iringe-Koko, spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, stated in a conversation with The Guardian that early findings suggested the officer died by suicide. She noted, however, that a full investigation was still underway to determine the precise events leading to his death.
In response to the incident, Olugbenga Adepoju, the state Commissioner of Police, directed that the case be immediately handed over to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) in Port Harcourt for a detailed investigation.
This occurrence comes barely two weeks after a similar tragic event in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, where Stephen Enang, a police inspector, reportedly collapsed and died while watching a UEFA Champions League match between Arsenal and Real Madrid.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that the late Inspector Enang, a devoted supporter of the English football club, had been watching the match at a popular viewing centre on Abang-Asang Street in Calabar Municipality when the incident occurred. It was said he appeared healthy and actively celebrated Arsenal’s goals before he was later found unconscious at the end of the game.
A friend of the late officer, speaking anonymously, shared that Inspector Enang was a regular at the venue and had shown no signs of illness prior to the tragic incident.
