Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Rivers rerun: Group condemns murder of policemen



A nongovernmental organization, the Network on Police Reforms in Nigeria (NOPRIN), has condemned the brutal attack and murder of police officers on election duty in Rivers State.

The national coordinator of NOPRIN, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said NOPRIN was deeply saddened by the police of the death of the policemen. He noted that the policemen were ambushed by a violent gang on Election Day, in Rivers.
According to a report, a military source in Rivers State said: “The most brutal incidence occurred at Ujju Community near Omoku in Onelga where 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 while five were missing in action. This is the same area where soldiers of 34 Brigade were ambushed on 20 November 2016 and a soldier killed. Also on 21 November 2016, 4 personnel of NSCDC were killed and their weapons carted away at the same area.”
Nwanguma said: “This act of killing police officers is audacious and condemnable, and we call on the authorities to hold responsible all the politicians who prepared the ground for the violence that attended the Rivers State national and state legislative elections by making hateful, provocative and inciting speeches on days before the election. Some politicians are on record for making reckless, irresponsible and inciting speeches and were responsible for arming and unleashing various gangs against their political opponents in a desperate bid to win the elections by all means, without regard to the will of the electorate.”
He said that attacks on and killing of security and law enforcement agents should be considered a heinous crime and must be severely punished to create deterrence.
“This sad incident has brought to the fore again, the urgent need to adequately equip and motivate our police and other law enforcement agencies to enable them provide service to and protection, both for law abiding citizens and for themselves as well,” said Nwanguma.
While sympathising with the families of the deceased police officers, NOPRIN urged police authorities to adequately compensate them for the noble service their deceased ones rendered to the country.
Nwanguma further said: “We call for prompt and effective investigations with a view to identifying the perpetrators and sponsors of this atrocious act. It is indeed saddening when police officers die in the line of duty. But when it happens, such officers should be held as heroes and their memories must be kept alive.”

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