From: Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Okoroba community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State is at logger heads with the Bayelsa State Police command over the latter’s alleged indifferent attitude to a robbery incident at the residence of the late aide of former President Goodluck Jonathan, late Oronto Douglas.
Investigations indicated that about 15 militants in three speed boats on Boxing Day invaded Okoroba community and gained entry into the residence of the late Douglas where they allegedly molested the people in the house and tied them up while they ransacked the building and later carted away property.
Sources in the community said before they escaped, the raided other houses in the community and shot sporadically into the air to ward off attempts by youths of the community to mobilize and apprehend them.
The matter was said to have been reported to the Police Division in Nembe and there were expectations that the security operatives from the division would visit the crime scene to take stock and commence investigations.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Asinim Butswa, however, said the State Command has not been informed about the robbery incident in Okoroba.
But Mr. Gift Douglas, younger brother to Oronto, confirmed that he personally reported the incident as it was happening to the Police Public Relations Officer as well as the Nembe Police Division.
He said that some gunmen, numbering about 15, on Tuesday night, December 26, attacked Okoroba community carting property worth millions of Naira.
In the words of Gift Douglas, “It is unbelievable that Police will say they are not aware of a crime that I personally made a distress call to the Bayelsa Police Command Public Relations Officer, Asinim Butswat two clear days after the crime, I also spoke to the Deputy Commissioner in charge of Operations. The Community has also written officialy on the incident and the copy of the petition is available for all to see.
“We went further called the Bayelsa government special joint security outfit ‘Doo Akpo’ and they told us that they have logistic challenge reaching our community because we are not linked by road and we made contact with other military teams that often patrol the waterways as well,” Douglas said.
A leader in the community, Chief Azibatonye Nengimonyo, appealed to the Bayelsa State Government to deploy security operatives to protect the community from such future attacks.