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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Hoodlums armed with sophisticated arms and other dangerous weapons, Monday evening, attacked journalists who had gone to the community for on-the-spot assessment of the situation.
The journalists attacked include Mr Joseph Kunde of TVC and his cameraman, Mr Bina Miebi, Mr Awe Baratuapere of NTA and his cameraman, Mr Ayebakuro Egein, Mrs Iniyekenime Doctor Bruce of Daar Communications, and Mr Femi Folaranmi of The Sun Publishing Limited.
The journalists were being taken around to see properties of some exiled chiefs destroyed by some youths of the community, before the deployment of Police Mobile Force (PMF) and Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) by the Inspector-General of Police.
Trouble, however, began when the team was at the last destroyed building belonging to the regent, as boys armed with sophisticated arms and dangerous weapons appeared from all corners.
In the ensuing bedlam, the team scampered for safety, with some of them taking refuge in some houses, while others ran to the police base. It took the gallant efforts of policemen, led by the Unit Commander, Mr Silas, to engage the hoodlums in a shoot-out. While Mr Baratuapere and Mr Folaranmi made it to the police base, the rest were trapped in the community.
Silas led a team of policemen to rescue Kunde and brought him to the police base, but his cameraman, Miebi, was not so lucky.
When he came out of hiding, he ran into the hands of the hoodlums who, after identifying him as a TVC cameraman, beat him and confiscated his camera and phones. He was stripped of his dress, which was used to tie his hands behind his back, and his legs.
Silas, after hours of brainstorming with other operatives, went back into the community and engaged in a gun duel with the hoodlums to rescue Miebi. Another detachment was at the bridge out of the community, to engage another set of hoodlums who had laid siege there.
Mrs Iniyekenime, who had been stripped of her camera and phones by those who hid her from the hoodlums in exchange for her life, was later helped to escape to the nearby Ogbolomabiri, where the police team led by Silas rescued and brought her to the police base.
The owner of the house where the NTA cameraman, Egein, took refuge told the police team that Egein was safe, but insisted that he won’t divulge the location because of fear that the hoodlums would attack him afterwards.
At about 12.30am, Silas came with six Hilux vans loaded with armed policemen and escorted the journalists out of the community to Yenagoa. Egein, the only journalist who was left behind, has also returned to Yenagoa, while the policemen have intensified efforts to recover the missing cameras.
