TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Twenty-two persons suspected to be involved in the gruesome murder of a policeman have been arrested by the Rivers State Police Command.
A yet-to-be-disclosed police officer attached to Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Port Harcourt, but on a special duty in Oyigbo, in Oyigbo Local Government Area, was reportedly kidnapped and murdered by armed youths at the boundary between Abia and Rivers States.
The incident occurred on the eve of Independence Day anniversary, and the hoodlums allegedly burnt one of the police patrol vans.
State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, a Superintendent of Police, (SP), disclosed the arrest of the suspects in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Omoni disclosed that it was alleged that the people behind the heinous act were members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, adding that the Command was investigating the allegation.
Omoni stated: “We have arrested 22 people and they being interrogated. Suffice to say that a policeman was attacked and killed by unknown assailants.
“Although there are insinuations that they may be members of IPOB. But, we are investigating that matter to unravel the identities of those that attacked the policeman and burnt the patrol vehicle and damaged the police out unit.
Speaking further, the PPRO said security has been beefed in Oyigbo, adding that the Rivers Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan, has given a marching order to apprehend the real perpetrators of the dastardly act.
“The CP has given a marching order that the assailants should be arrested and brought to justice. So, we have deployed our men, both the Intelligence Unit of the command to go all out and get the suspects arrested”, Omoni stated.
He, however, called for cooperation to assist police to get the persons that carried out the operation to avoid mistaken identity.
Ends.