From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Number of policemen that died in the line of duty at the river in Southern Ijaw has risen to six.
Initially, three policemen were said to have drowned when the boat conveying them for election duty capsized.
According to investigations, 11 policemen were in the boat when the accident happened. Five were immediately rescued.
A statementby the state Police Command through the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Asinim Butswat said their bodies have been recovered.
He said that the bodies of the missing police personnel, recovered by a combined team of officers from the Marine Department of the command and local divers, had been deposited in one of the morgues in the state.
Butswat, who expressed the command’s condolences with the families of the deceased said that investigation had commenced to ascertain the cause of the mishap.
Meanwhile, the state government has condoled with the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, over loss of some of the force’s personnel that drowned while escorting voting materials for last Saturday’s senatorial bye-election in the state.
Governor Diri, who also condoled with the families of the deceased policemen, said in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, yesterday, that their sudden demise while on national duty was painful.