A POLICE Sergeant was, Monday night, shot dead and his service rifle taken away by some persons suspected to be crude oil thieves at Kolo II in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. Injured in the attack was a police corporal and a civilian. The incident occurred about 8.30 p.m at a checkpoint.
According to an undisclosed source, the attack on the policemen some distance from the densely populated settlement triggered confusion in the community as the natives and policemen attached to the Kolo Divisional headquarters scampered for safety.
Trouble, it was learnt, started when the policemen, who stopped the attackers numbering four, armed with guns and machetes for a search, discovered consignment of illegally refined kerosene in their vehicle. A source who spoke anonymously said the attack was due to alleged disagreement on amount demanded by the policemen.
The attackers were said to have disembarked from their vehicle and shot dead the sergeant while the corporal was inflicted with serious machete cuts. The other two policemen reportedly took to their heels and ran into the police station. According to the source, “The boys chased them into the station but left without further attack. An indigene of the community, who tried to assist the police, was also attacked with machete.”
Contacted, the Bayelsa State Police Command through its spokesman, Asinim Butswat, said the police sergeant was killed and his firearm stolen. Butswat in a statement said, “the Bayelsa State command wishes to use this medium to inform the general public that on 4th of September, 2017 at about 2030hrs, policemen on vehicular patrol along Kolo 2 in Ogbia Local Government Area were attacked by unknown gunmen.
“Based on a tip off, the policemen intercepted a vehicle conveying suspected militants. Two of the suspects were arrested and handcuffed but they resisted any attempt by policemen to search their vehicle in the ensuing uproar, members of the community gathered around the vehicle and rescued the arrested suspect and attacked the policemen.
“The Command regrettably lost a police sergeant and arms. A police corporal and a civilian were injured and are responding to treatment in the hospital.
“Members of the Public are advised to assist the police in fighting crime rather than compound police investigations as the crowd was partly responsible for the attack on the policemen.”
