The
fragile peace in Delta State snapped once again yesterday as gunmen killed nine
policemen, one soldier and two civilians in the state.
The deceased included the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in
charge of Abraka Divisional Police Station in Ethiope East Local Government
Area of the state, Mr. Tim Chibukewe and the leader of the Anti-Robbery Squad
in Ogwashi-Uku, the headquarters of Aniocha South LGA, Mr. John Danladi, a
superintendent of police.
Chibukewe met his untimely death in company of four policemen and
a woman, on his way to the state’s police command headquarters in Asaba, the
state capital.
The DPO was summoned to the state’s Criminal Investigation
Department in continuation of the investigation into the killing of a policeman
by his colleague in the division.
The woman, who was killed by the bandits, was identified as the
wife of the deceased policeman, whose killing was being investigated.
National Mirror gathered that the bandits ambushed them on the
Benin/ Asaba highway at Igbodo and opened fire on their Hilux patrol vehicle.
Chibukewe, four policemen and the woman were killed by the
hoodlums, who made away with some service rifles.
It was learnt that the marauders, who were obviously elated by the
success of the encounter, thereafter stormed Ibusa, the headquarters of
Oshimili North LGA, where they attacked two banks-Union Bank and Keystone Bank
(formerly Bank PHB).
The operation, however, turned bloody when policemen from the
command headquarters in Asaba, and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in
Ogwashi-Uku were deployed to the scene.
It was also gathered that the police mobilised effectively and
blocked all major exits from Ibusa with armoured vehicles. They confined the
robbers within Ibusa, a development which triggered an exchange of gun fire.
Danladi, a reputed crime buster, who had won many awards from
various private institutions and the police, lost his life in the encounter.
A soldier and two other policemen were also killed by the bandits.
Further investigation by revealed that a man simply identified as a pastor was
killed by stray bullets.
However, luck ran out on two of the bandits, who exhausted their
bullets in the sporadic gun battle in the banks’ premises. They were caught by
the residents and set ablaze.
Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State Command, Mr. Charles
Muka, confirmed the development. Muka said five of the bandits were also killed
by the police in Ibusa.
Muka said huge sums of money and arms were recovered from the
hoodlums, adding that detectives were on the trail of fleeing members of the
gang.
The fate of the policemen threw the police command and other
police formations in the state into mourning. The people of Ogwashi-Uku were
particularly worried and grieved over the fate of Danladi, who was praised for
his gallantry.
He was reputed to have confronted and killed many hoodlums
terrorising the community in the past few years.
Just last Sunday, he was ordained an evangelist by a Pentecostal
church in the community, Tree of Life Church, in appreciation of his dedication
to duty.
Meanwhile, in Bayelsa State, a bloody cult war between two groups,
Greenlanders and Islanders in Igbomotoru, Southern Ijaw local government, has
claimed a youth, leaving several others injured. The victim, a member of
Islanders was attacked and killed with machetes.
The cult war over supremacy between both rival groups erupted last
Sunday in the community thereby creating panic among inhabitants of the area.
An eyewitness account, who did not want his name mentioned, said
both groups used guns, bottles, cudgels and machetes during the battle that
lasted for about three hours as people scampered for safety.
There are fears in the area that a reprisal attack may be executed
by the rival cult group whose member was killed.
The source alleged that the recent revocation of contracts by the
state government might lead to a resurgence of violence in the state.It was
gathered that many ex-militants were on the payroll of the contractors whose
jobs were revoked by government.
When contacted, State
Commissioner of Police, Chris Olakpe, said the police had been deployed to the
creeks to flush out miscreants and cult members