Oil Thieves Invade Police Station In Bayelsa, Kill Police Officer, Injure 3 Others

The Police Command in Bayelsa State has confirmed the killing of one of its men by suspected oil thieves who attacked a Police check point and Police Divisional headquarters in Kolo Community of Ogbia Local Government Area Council of Bayelsa State.

State Police spokesperson, Astim Butswat, confirmed that a police sergeant was killed and his firearm stolen.

The Police officer was reportedly killed at a stop and search check point and his service rifle carted away by the gunmen suspected to be oil bunkerers.

A version of the incident which happened on Monday around 8:pm says the attackers, numbering four and armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, were stopped for a stop and search operation at the check point by policemen who discovered stolen kerosene in their vehicle.

But another version says the attacked check point, ‎which is being operated by the Kolo Divisional Police Station, was notorious for the alleged illegal collection of bribe from suspected illegal bunkerers passing through the area and the attack was due to disagreement between policemen and the bunkerers over an amount of money demanded by the policemen.

Local sources told newsmen that the attackers came down from the vehicle and shot dead the policeman and attack the corporal with machete, when the argument degenerated.

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The source said, “the other two policemen took to their heels and ran into the Police station. The boys chased them into the station but left without further attack.”

It was gathered that two indigenes of the community, who tried to assist the police was also attacked with machete and hospitalized.

Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State Police Command which confirmed the incident on Tuesday 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 resisted any attempt by policemen to search their vehicle in the ensuring uproar,members of the community gathered around th vehicle and rescued the arrested suspect and the policemen were attacked.

“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 rathern than compound police investigations as the crowd was partly responsible for the attack on the policemen.”

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