Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
It was the day after. The previous day, forces of darkness had visited Ekpetiama community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. Four police officers, including the Divisional Police Officer and a pregnant policewoman in the sanctuary of the divisional headquarters, were killed.
On the day after the killings, death still smelt in the air. Grief-stricken Ekpetiama people stood in groups, discussing the calamity that has befallen the community. The scene of the dastardly act told part of the story. Bullet-riddled walls, bullet shells, broken windows, scattered tables and chairs told part of the ugly story. Women wearing mournful looks mopped the blood of the slain officers from the floor, unspeakable fears evident in their looks.
The story of Ekpetiama on the day gunmen in two speedboats invaded the community is that of impunity and tragedy with monumental implications.
“My reaction was that of shock and disbelief,” said Mr Kemela Okara, Secretary to the State Government who incidentally is from the area. “It is difficult to understand why people carry out such wicked and dastardly acts in the dead of the night to kill police officers in their duty post. It is something that is completely unbelievable and wicked”
According to investigations, the sounds of the bullets being fired were heard in neighbouring communities like Tombia, making people to conclude that those shooting were on a mission. For Okara, it is saddening. “When you have policemen that go out to protect all of us, the last thing you would want to happen to any of them is that they should be killed.”
He said the killers of the four policemen must be fished out. “As a government that places high premium on security of the people and those of law enforcement officers securing out citizens, we would not take this lightly at all.”
In an emotion-laden voice, he vowed that the Bayelsa State Government would get the killers. “We would leave no stone unturned, we would make every effort possible to bring those who committed this dastardly act to book. We would ensure they are apprehended and face the full wrath of the law. We cannot afford to have a state where people feel they can move into a community and kill people at will. That, we cannot allow to happen. That cannot be accepted. They would certainly be apprehended and face the full wrath of the law.”
Since the Police station was built in 1979, it had never recorded any ugly incident until that fateful day. “It is unbelievable that such a thing could happen in this place. There has been no time since the establishment of a police post in 1979 that such had happened. We had never had any attack from anywhere,” said the Chairman of the Council of Chiefs in the community, Chief Bubaraye Geko who was still in shock when he was approached for an interview.
Expectedly the Police have been enraged over the incident. Inspector- General of Police, Mohammed Adamu has ordered “massive manhunt for the perpetrators of the dastardly act,” noted Force spokesman, DCP Frank Mba in a statement.
“The IGP has ordered the immediate deployment of crack detectives from the IGP- Intelligence Response Unit (IRT), the Forensic and Homicide sections of the FCID and Special Operatives of the Marine Police Department to Yenagoa to complement the efforts of the Bayelsa Police Commanding carrying out discrete investigations into the unfortunate incident.”
The IGP acknowledged the dangers the police face in the line of duty. He described the incident “as a classic example of the risk and sacrifices the police are exposed to in their daily task of protecting our homeland.”
But the IGP’s admission only told part of the story of that black Monday. Investigations revealed that the police in Agudama-Ekeptiama have comprehensively fought kidnappers and cultists and have refused all entreaties to allow known criminals arrested walk free. However, checks revealed that most of the suspected kidnappers arrested are usually transferred to the state command headquarters on orders and are released in controversial circumstances. “When police arrest kidnappers and criminal elements, the superior officers collect money and allow them to go,” a highly placed leader of the community said.
Findings suggested that the killing was a reprisal from released suspected kidnappers against the police in Agudama-Ekpetiama for refusing to be comprised. “It was a revenge mission over the arrest, torturing and detention of some suspected kidnappers by the division,” a source in the community disclosed. “The suspected kidnappers were transferred to the state headquarters after their sponsors had paid some money. They decided to carry out the attack against the deceased DPO and his men for refusing to accept bribe and release them.”
Before now, there have been several complaints from the people of Ekpetiama Kingdom after seeing known criminal elements that have been arrested for sundry crimes being released without charges. The circumstances surrounding the killing and the state of the building housing the Agudama-Ekpetiama Divisional Police Station further revealed government hypocrisy in fighting crime by exposing law enforcement agencies to unnecessary dangers. The police station is not only dilapidated, it has no perimeter fencing, surrounded by bushes with easy access from the river, from where the attackers came. The seamless way the attack was launched paints a grim picture of the state of insecurity in the state.
“The incident is extremely sad. It underscores the fact we are not safe. Not one Ekpetiama man is safe. Not one Bayelsan, not one Nigerian is safe anymore. Because, if a police station could be ransacked by unknown men, then nobody is safe. This is the first time it is happening in this part of the world. Ekpetiama kingdom has never witnessed this. Sad enough, it is happening to a divisional police headquarters. It is not just a mushroom police station, but divisional headquarters. It means that one day the police headquarters in Yenagoa could be ransacked,” said King Bubaraye Dakolo, Agada IV, Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom.
Human rights activist, Ebiresekumo Gbassa who is from the community, said he would want security to be beefed up in the state as it gradually approaches the governorship elections.
“The incident is a crime against humanity. The entire law enforcement in the country should come and assist Bayelsa State because we are sitting on a powder keg. These criminals are known to some people and are possibly on the payroll of some top people. The governorship elections are drawing closer; the signs are ominous. Now with the coming elections, the boys are out to gather arms and ammunition.”
The former scribe of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Mr Alagoa Morris said he shares the same sentiments and wants decisive action against criminal elements.
“The human rights community in Bayelsa State feels sad about this incident. Those behind the incident should be brought to book. Suspects arrested should be treated in line with the accepted procedures and should be charged to court.”
The talk in town is that the police must not allow these killings be swept under the carpet like the recent killings of policemen that were not solved.
King Dakolo asserted: “This is a direct assault on law enforcement and I believe the police would leave no stone unturned so that everyone involved remotely or directly would be brought to book. The police must re-establish the confidence the society has in them. If they do not do that, maybe we should relocate. In saner climes where this happen, between seven days, maximum of two weeks, those involved would have been caught.”
As the state, especially, the families of the deceased continue to mourn their dead, all eyes are on the police to arrest the culprits. And time is ticking.