The Rivers State Police Command said on Monday it had begun a manhunt for the killers of a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Alkali Mohammed, and his orderly, both of the Mobile Police, Unit 48,
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, told The PUNCH in an interview that the special units of the Nigeria Police Force had joined the ongoing investigation with a view to apprehending the hoodlums and bringing them to justice.
A group of bandits suspected to be cultists had ambushed a police patrol team in Ujju community near Omoku in Ogba Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the state, and killed and beheaded a DSP and his orderly.
It was learnt that the hoodlums escaped with the police patrol vehicle and took some weapons along with them.
But the state police spokesman assured Nigerians that those behind the act would never go unpunished, adding that one policeman, who could be the driver of the patrol van, was still missing after the incident.
“The death of the DSP has been confirmed and his body has been recovered. The policeman is still missing. All hands are on deck and we are combing the bush around some communities.
“The command’s tactical unit has swung into action; the IGP unit is also helping the manhunt for the hoodlums. Investigation had been ordered and we will get the perpetrators of this act in no time,” Omoni stressed.
Describing the deceased as gallant police officers, Omoni said, “It is a sad moment for the police and we pray that their gentle souls will rest in peace.”
The 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt had raised the alarm over the activities of hoodlums in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA during Saturday’s legislative rerun election in Rivers State, disclosing that two policemen were killed and beheaded.
The General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Maj.-Gen. Kasimu Abdulkarim, had said in a statement, “The most brutal incident occurred at Ujju Community near Omoku in Onelga where police patrol team was ambushed.
“In the ambush, 10 policemen scampered to the bush. The Mobile Police organised 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 while five were missing in action.
“This is the same area where soldiers of 34 Brigade were ambushed on 20 November, 2016 where a soldier was killed.
“Also on November 21, 2016, four personnel of 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 flash point.”
