Ben Dunno, Warri
The Police in Delta have arrested two members of the deadly armed hoodlums alleged to have been responsible for the ambush attack on the Okpamam Police station rescue team in the early hours of Sunday, killed three policemen, another critically wounded and carted away two AK 47 rifles.
It was gathered that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Okpamam Division, CSP Gambo Ado, got a distressed call at about 3;48am from the leader of the community vigilantes on the attack on his men by the armed men who took his men unaware in the late evening attack.
Moved by compassion over the reported high degree of injuries sustained by some vigilantes, the DPO was said to have immediately ordered the Station Officer of duty to lead a rescue team to the spot and give support to the vigilantes who appears already overwhelmed by their attackers
Sources disclosed that sensing a possible mobilisation by the police to the scene, the armed hoodlums who appears very conversant with the nooks and crannies in the community laid ambush for the police team who were already approaching the particular location the attack on the vigilantes was carried out.
Three officers, identified as ASP Eke Francis, Inspector Joshua Akengbo and Corporal Perekedo Unene, were reportedly killed on the spot in the ambush while another officer, ASP Bassey Wisdom, was rushed to a nearby hospital where he currently receiving treatment alongside other members of the vigilance group that were injured by the gun men.
It was learnt that on receiving the information of the attack on his men, the Delta state Police Commissioner, CP Ari Muhammed Ali, immediately despatched a crack team from the Command to the community to fish out those behind the dastardly act.
The crack team that swung into action immediately, was able to arrest two members of the armed men who carried out the attack and are note trail of the rest who are now on the run.
Confirming the arrest of the two suspects in a telephone conversation with Daily Sun in Warri yesterday, the Compol, CP Ali, noted that the vigilante members who were indigenes of the community had identified the suspects to be members of the armed gun men that attacked them earlier in the community.
He stated that his men would stop at nothing to ensure those behind the bloody attack on his men were brought to justice.
According to him; “We are not repenting in our efforts at combating this kind of violence crimes in our society and we are equally aware that the criminals too are getting more deadlier and Sophisticated in their operations but we would continue to do our utmost best in protecting the people”.
“This is the more reason we are appealing to the members of the public to feel free to divulge useful information on any suspicious persons and movement in their society to the appropriate security agencies for prompt action”, CP Ali solicited.