Bayelsa State Police Command has continued the search for twelve of its men allegedly attacked by suspected gunmen on their way to Azuzuama in Southern Ijaw local government area of the state.
Also, the Command has denied the involvement of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, (MEND) in the heinous act, arguing that the threat earlier issued by MEND has nothing to do with the attack.
Briefing newsmen, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kingsley Omire said some aggrieved ex-militants that had earlier embraced Amnesty programme as put forward by the Federal Government took advantage of the malfunctioning speed-boat to launch the attack, which resulted in the missing of twelve policemen.
His account, “50 policemen set out on assignment to Azuzama. On their way, one of the boats conveying them developed engine fault. A Joint Military Task Force gun boat was moving ahead of them. They were isolated and became soft target. Intelligence report have shown that those involved in the armed attack were hoodlums within an ex-militant group that were supposed to be enjoying Amnesty”
Out of the Fifty policemen deployed to Azuzuama community, the 12 officers were declared missing including two Police Inspectors, Four Non-Commissioned Officers, (NCO) and Six Constables.”
On the claim of an illegal trip, the Police Commissioner said the deployment of the Policemen was authorized by him and done to provide security to high profile visitors expected at the burial ceremony of the late Mother of an ex-militant leader, Kile Selky Torughedi a.k.a Young Shall Grow
According to him, “as I speak to you, some policemen are still at the community. It is the disabled nature of the speed boat conveying the affected policemen that made them soft targets. We had lots of gunboats and security personnel in the area. As I speak with you now, the entire Azuzuama community is condoned off.”
