IG Orders Manhunt for Killers of 12 Policemen in Bayelsa, last Friday

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, has ordered a manhunt for the killers of 12 policemen, who were murdered in Bayelsa State last Friday.

Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta MEND had claimed that its fighters killed the policemen, whose boat was ambushed in Azuzuama, Southern Ijaw.

The group said the deaths were to teach the security forces a lesson for scorning its warning.

The militant group had last week announced that it would resume attacks on the oil rich Niger Delta by Friday to avenge alleged collaboration between the Federal Government and South Africa to jail its former leader, Henry Okah.

But Police commissioner in Bayelsa, Kingsley Omire, said the killing of his men had nothing to do with MEND’s threat, noting that the policemen were only missing and their whereabouts were still a subject of intense search.

The killing of the policemen came barely a month after the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Chinweike Asadu, was gunned down in Enugu while visiting his family.

But rising from a meeting with the Police Management Team at the Force headquarters, Abuja on Monday, the IG said he had given an order that the killers be brought to justice.

Abubakar, who spoke through the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said the police would stop at nothing to ensure that the killers were brought to book soon.

Abubakar said, “The death of the 12 police officers on legitimate national assignment is sad, unfortunate and the police will stop at nothing to ensure that the killers are brought to book as soon as possible.

“The time is tough and the race against crime is tight, but with support from all Nigerians and all tiers of government, police and other security agencies will restore national security soon.”

In related news,

Another Militant group has claimed responsibility for the killing of the 12 policemen along the waterways of Azuzuama Community in the Southern Ijaw area of Bayelsa state just after MEND claimed responsibility for the killings.

Two Militia groups, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and General Adaka Boro Jnr group yesterday claimed to have killed 12 policemen along the waterways of Azuzama Community in the Southern Ijaw area of Bayelsa state.

MEND had in a statement Sunday said the killing of the policemen was an outcome of a gun battle between their foot soldiers and security men.