Posted by The Port Harcourt Telegraph on
How much did the Oyigbo Local Government Council withdraw? That is the question that is being asked in informed circles as news of the armed robbery attack, which took place within the council spreads.
How much did the Oyigbo Local Government Council withdraw? That is the question that is being asked in informed circles as news of the armed robbery attack, which took place within the council spreads.
Although police sources say their men may have feared dead, it is now common knowledge that two policemen of Ogoni extraction were brutally murdered by AK 47 wielding killers.
At the moment, there is a general impression that the robbers may have made away with close to about N30 million while council sources tend to suggest the police did not provide adequate security.
A police source hinted that the number of persons dispatched to guard money is usually dependent on the amount involved.
From our investigation, the Oyigbo Local Government Council February 1, 2005 wrote to the police.
The letter, a copy of which this publication obtained from insiders in the council and signed by one Nwulu Eziefule simply said, "I am directed to apply for the release of your men to assist the council on Wednesday 2nd February, 2005 for the movement of cash from Oyigbo to Afam for the payment of workers salaries, allowances and imprest for the month of February, 2005."
The letter added, "The amount involved is (N7,000,000)."
Based on the request, the DPO Oyigbo drafted constables as required by convention to escort the money to Afam.
Did the council hide the actual amount that it was supposed to withdraw from Halmark Bank from the police? Why?
Or could it be that following the theft, some one within the council is trying to pull off a fast one?
If the council withdrew N30 million as is being speculated, what kind of safe would hold such an amount?
In the meantime, there is controversy as the police begin investigations into the matter.
Thus far council officials have been called in for interrogation, with police also asking for explanation from its officials in Oyigbo.
We have reliably learnt that the DPO whose men were killed on the line of duty has expressed serious reservations over claims that such a whooping amount was hijacked, stressing that it appeared to be at variance with the seven million that the police was asked to escort.
The Oyigbo money hijack is not the first in which policemen were killed. Policemen were murdered when robbers snatched money that was being escorted to Omuma Local Government. A similar thing happened when money equally meant for Degema Local Government vanished while some policemen taking money to Bonny (this time not council funds) were gruesomely murdered.
The last of the Oyigbo council theft has not been heard and many Rivers people polled say they would want the present investigation conducted openly.