Delta State Police Command says it has lost more than six police officers to armed bandits within three months, just as the Fulani herdsmen have reportedly killed 30 persons in the past three years in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the State.
Loading ...The State Police Commissioner Mr Alkali Usman stated at a stake holders town hall meeting in Ughelli that in a bid to discharge their official duties, the Police Officers were killed in a gun battle with the hoodlums at various locations across the State.
Usman who admitted a short fall of man power and logistics in his command, informed that the “hoodlums are going about with sophisticated weapons with which they armed bush my men who take delight in serving members of the public”.
To this end, the Police Boss appealed to the people to have a change of mind towards the Police and report any suspicion movement of person or groups, on time, to the Police with a view to fighting crime, saying the Police cannot do it alone.
Hear him: “we too are not magicians. We are doing our best with the limited resources available to us. We have pushed them (the criminals) to a tight corner and you can see that crime has reduced considerably in the State”.
On the activities of the Fulani herdsmen, the Police Commissioner said the Police have no constitutional power to evacuate the cattle rearers as demanded by the people, but he assured them that those found wanting among them will be arrested and prosecuted.
The secretary to Uwheru Traditional council, Chief Benjamin Ohworeko told the Commissioner of Police at the stake holders town hall meeting that Uwheru kingdom has lost no fewer than 30 persons to the Fulani herdsmen in the past three years.
Continuing, he said ‘’some of those killed were not even found, let alone giving them a befitting burial’’.
According to him the cattle rearers have wreaked havoc in the kingdom such as raping, maiming and even killing and decried the ugly trend because it has resulted to many people refusing to go to farms for fear of Fulani attacks.
Chief Ohworeko added that ‘’over the years so many of our men have been assaulted and dehumanized, a case in point is one Mrs Roseline Okoro who was brutally raped, a week after her marriage, killed and buried in a shallow grave in Oguname town while Mrs Oke Useh was badly raped but survived’’.
Another participant Comrade Egbagbara Omars Blessing lamented that most of the police stations run short of man power and vehicles.
Egbagbara, who is the Secretary, PCRC, ‘B’ Division Ughelli Agbarha- Otor said with dismay in his paper presented to police Chief, that the police cannot fight crime effectively with four police personnel – two men, two women and no single vehicle at Ufuoma station with a population of over 5, 000 people.
While contributing, Chairman Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Ughelli branch, Mr Alex Amusi Lampooned the police at the B division Ughelli for failing short of their responsibilities to members of the public.
Amusi said that “the officers there are not working at all because the vigilante had almost taken over their jobs, and thus appealed to the CP to call his men to order with a view to inculcate discipline in them to carry out their onerous assignments with zeal”, he said.
