Two policemen have been reportedly killed by hoodlums in Rivers State, Nigeria on Saturday at Ujju community near Omoku in Ogba/Edema/Ndoni council area, during the Rivers rerun elections in the State.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) the newly-created 6 Division of the Army in Port Harcourt, Major General Kasimu Abdulkarim, made this disclosure yesterday.
Abdulkarim said the hoodlums snatched the police patrol vehicle and weapons, killing DSP Alkali Mohammed, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Mobile Police Unit 48, and his orderly in the process.
He said while three policemen escaped, five were still “missing in action” in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers, where the state’s Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Felix Obuah, hails from.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, and Obuah had earlier accused the Army and policemen of killing three PDP members (two in Bodo-Ogoni in Gokana Local Government Area and one in Tai-Ogoni Local Government Area) aiding All Progressives Congress (APC) members to hijack electoral materials.
The GOC, however, declared that the allegations made by some respected politicians regarding deep involvement of soldiers during the elections were false and aimed at tarnishing the army’s image.
To Abdulkarim, PDP leaders, “weighty” allegations that soldiers were involved in ballot box snatching, illegal escort of some politicians, arrest and detention of voters could cause members of the public to view soldiers negatively, hence the need to adequately inform the public on the true perspective. He said the public should consider the allegations as “mere farce to garner sympathy”.
The GOC maintained that the 6 Division remained apolitical, adding that its soldiers provided perimeter defence to ward off hoodlums and miscreants.
“The most brutal incident occurred (during Saturday’s rerun) at Ujju community near Omoku in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA of Rivers State, where a police patrol team was ambushed. In the ambush, 10 policemen scampered into the bush. The Mobile Police organized a rescue mission.
“Regrettably, the team discovered that DSP Alkali Mohammed of Mobile Police Unit 48 was beheaded along with his orderly. The patrol vehicle was taken away with weapons. Three policemen escaped. Five were missing in action.
“This is the same area where soldiers of 34 Brigade were ambushed on November 20, 2016, where a soldier was killed. Also, on November 21, 2016, four personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were killed and their weapons carted away.
“These attacks are reasonable evidence of violations of breach of law and order which portray the area as a flashpoint. Despite this barbarism, soldiers acted with civility and professionalism, guaranteeing peaceful elections.
“Nigerian Army, as a respected institution with constitutional responsibility to safeguard lives and property, could not watch miscreants and hoodlums abducting, maiming and killing innocent citizens, especially in senseless attacks on uniform personnel,” he said.
