From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

Barely a week after militants killed a soldier and a civilian in Letugbene community in Ekeremor Local Government Area, militants struck again Monday night in Kolo community, Ogbia Local government Area of Rivers State, killing a policeman. They also escaped with some rifles.

According to investigations, the militants suspected to be involved in crude oil theft at about 9.00pm on Monday, attacked policemen during a stop and search operation just before the Kolo Police station.

Sources at the community explained that the spot of the stop and search operation had gained notoriety for being the place crude oil thieves bribe policemen to discourage searching of their vehicles sometimes loaded with illegal refined oil product.

Sources said the attack was as a result of the argument on what to pay, adding that it was the community, irked by the alleged brazen nature the bribe for free passage instituted by the police, that allowed two of the suspected militants to escape.

Further, investigations revealed that after alleged breakdown of negotiations between them and the policemen, three of the militants came down from the car shot dead one of the policemen by the door and attacked the other with several machete blows.

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“The area the check point is located has been known to be where policemen from Kolo Police Division usually collect money from those engaged in illegal oil bunkering. And there was an argument on money and they (militants) came down from the vehicle and shot dead the sergeant closest to them while the other one, a corporal, was attacked with a machete. Even a civilian that tried to help was also attacked. The other policemen took to their heels and ran into the Police Divisional office and the militants left with the rifle of the dead policeman,” he said.

The Bayelsa State Police Command, which confirmed the incident denied that the stop and search operation was used to extort money from illegal oil bunkerers.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Asinim Butswat, the police acting on a tip off, actually intercepted the vehicle loaded with illegal oil products and even arrested two of the suspects and handcuffed them when they refused to allow the policemen to search the vehicle.

He, however, said that the community gathered around the vehicle to rescue the suspects and allowed them to attack Policemen.

His statement read: “The Bayelsa State Police Command wishes to use this medium to inform the public that on September 4, 2017, at about 2030hrs, policemen on vehicular patrol along Kolo 2, Ogbia Local Government Area, were attacked by gunmen. The policemen, based on a tip-off intercepted a vehicle conveying suspected militants. Two of the suspects were arrested and handcuffed, but                                          resisted attempt by the policemen to search their vehicle. In the ensuing uproar, members of the community gathered around the vehicle and rescued the suspects and the policemen were attacked.

“The command regrettably lost a police sergeant and arms, a police corporal and a civilian were injured and are responding to treatment in the hospital. Members of the public are advised to assist the police in fighting crime rather than compound police investigations, as the crowd was partly responsible for the attacked on the policemen”.