by Peregba Jerry
The Rivers state police command has regretted attacks on police stations and confirmed the killing of seven policemen in the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP. Nnamdi Omoni, in a statement, after the Commissioner of Police in the state, Friday Eboka and heads of tactical units visited the different scenes of crime, noted that the bandits were met with stiff resistance.
Omoni said: “The Rivers State Police Command can confirm the unprovoked and mindless attack on policemen and vehicles.
“The incident which led to the death of seven Policemen occurred last night at about 2030hrs, where unknown gunmen driven in two branded Hilux vans, attacked the special checkpoint at Choba bridge, wherein a surprising attack, killed two Policemen on duty and set ablaze a private car belonging to one of the Policemen.
“A similar attack was launched at Rumuji Police Station by the same hoodlums who killed two Policemen on duty and burnt a Police patrol vehicle.
“However, a stiff resistance by the Police prevented the hoodlums from gaining access into the Police station. In the course of the exchange of fire, two of the attackers were fatally wounded and died on the spot.
“The third attack at Elimgbu Police Station was equally resisted by the Police, though three officers were killed in that attack the serious fire engagement made them abandon their bullet-riddled Hilux van, while they escaped with various degrees of gunshot wounds with a snatched Sienna bus.”
The Police spokesman noted that the engagement of the police to trap down the killers caused them (hoodlums) to flee abandoning their vehicles.
“The continued engagement by the Police, also forced them to abandon the Sienna car they were using to escape at the Refinery junction, while their remnants again escaped with bullet wounds.
“In the meantime, the corpses of the fallen heroes have been evacuated and deposited in the mortuary, while the Commissioner of Police, CP. Eboka Friday, who led members of his management team and tactical Commanders to the respective scenes this morning for an on-the-spot assessment, has launched a serious manhunt for the perpetrators with a view to apprehending the culprits and bringing them to justice,” he said.
Omoni confirmed that the Command was relatively calm and the Commissioner of Police currently in a security meeting with his team, as security has been further strengthened in all the Police formations in the State, including other critical public and private infrastructure.
He noted that in the three attacks carried out no Police Station nor formation was burnt but regretted that five assault rifles were lost in the incident.
Omoni urged the public to increase security consciousness and report every person or persons with gun wounds to the nearest Police Station.
