Bloody Tuesday For Police In Zamfara, Bayelsa States

It has been a bloody Tuesday for the Nigeria Police Force as two separate attacks in Zamfara and Bayelsa States have led to the deaths of four officers.

In Zamfara, armed persons allegedly attacked a police post in the state, according to the state police command.

The command said it had commenced massive search for the three police officers who went missing after Monday’s attack on their outpost in Keta village, Tsafe Local Government Area.

A press release issued by the command’s spokesman in Gusau, Mohammed Shehu, denied that any DPO and police officers were kidnapped.

“No one was kidnapped as a result of the attack on the facility,” Shehu said.

He explained that a police outpost is not managed by a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), adding that the three missing policemen ran into the bushes when the outpost was attacked.

“At the moment, combined units of Police Anti-Robbery Squad, Anti-Kidnapping and Mobile Force are combing the bushes in search of their colleagues as well as to arrest the gunmen.”

The incident in Bayelsa is coming barely three months after a police sergeant was killed.

Gunmen reportedly attacked a police patrol team along Kolo Road in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsain the latest attack and made away with a rifle of the deceased officer..

Spokesperson of the Bayelsa State Police Command, Asinim Butswat, who confirmed the development, said on Tuesday in Yenagoa that the incident took place on September 4.

“The Bayelsa State Police Command wishes to use this medium to inform the general public that on September 4 at about 8:30 p.m., policemen on vehicular patrol along Kolo 2, Ogbia Local Government Area were attacked by unknown gunmen.

“The policemen, based on a tip-off, intercepted a vehicle conveying suspected militants.

“Two of the suspects were arrested and handcuffed but resisted any attempt by the policemen to search their vehicle.

“In the ensuing uproar, members of the community gathered around the vehicle and rescued the arrested 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 hospital.

“Members of the public are advised to assist the police in fighting crime, rather than to compound police investigation as the crowd was partly responsible for the attack on the policemen,” Butwat said.