Posted by By BUCHY ENYINNAYA, Asaba on
Barely four days after the Delta State government constituted and inaugurated a Joint Task Force made up of the military, police, the State Security Service, (SSS), and Navy to tighten security in the state, some gunmen yesterday killed two mobile policemen while several other officers sustained severe gun shot wounds.
…Another on danger list
Barely four days after the Delta State government constituted and inaugurated a Joint Task Force made up of the military, police, the State Security Service, (SSS), and Navy to tighten security in the state, some gunmen yesterday killed two mobile policemen while several other officers sustained severe gun shot wounds.
This is even as one of the officers is critically ill in an undisclosed hospital in the state following an early morning attack by gunmen. Daily Sun gathered that the incident led to several people sustaining injuries as they scampered for safety as the shooting by the bandits took over the air.
Daily Sun also gathered that the incident, which occurred at about 9:28am at the Ogbeosewe quarters near Ibusa road in the capital city, happened when the dead policemen with their colleagues set out from the 'A" Division of the state police command for the day's activities in a police Peugeot 504 saloon car to a designated new generation bank in the capital city, only to be attacked by some armed bandits atop a motorcycle.
A source told Daily Sun that the officers had taken the Ogbeosewe route to beat traffic along the Ogbeogologo market but unknown to them, the killer bandits on Okada were trailing them.
The gang on approaching the police vehicle opened fire. Also, on Wednesday night , near one of the big hotels in the capital city, a lady was said to have been shot at a close range by gunmen over a GSM handset just some makers away from the 'A' division police station.
On the other hand, a customer to one of the banks (names withheld) about two weeks ago escaped death by the whiskers in the hands of a two-man gang. which emerged shortly after he had finished withdrawing money from a new generation banks near Ibusa junction in the state capital.
Another victim, simply identified as Harrison from Agbor town, Daily Sun, gathered, was not so lucky as another set of menacing Okada robbers swooped on him at his residence in Government House/Anwai road killing him after dispossessing him of an undisclosed amount of money, which he was said to have withdrawn moments shortly before the attack.
Reacting to the latest incidents, the Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), of the state command, Mr. Banawi Ishaku, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, (ASP), said all units of patrol have been dispatched to track down the rampaging bandits, adding that the constant raid by robbers on Okada has been a source of worry to the command.
"These men(the policemen) were actually on their way to the bank for duty at the bank when these people(armed robbers) trailed and opened fire on them," Mr Ishaku revealed. policemen and not the banks.
He pointed out further that a new strategy had been packaged by the command with a view to nipping in the bud the menace of hoodlums on Okada, He appealed to the public not to panic as the state government in collaboration with the police, were working round the clock to ensure that the 'ember" months is a smooth sail for all,
assuring that the command will not sleep in its responsibility.
Meanwhile security has been beefed up at strategic locations in the town as tension mounted yesterday while banks, hospitals and core tourist centres are now on alert.