Olusola Bello

The level of insecurity in the  country  heightened last weekend as not less than 16 people, 11 of them police officers and five other people were killed  by  yet to be identified  gunmen in Rivers and Anambra States and Akwa Ibom States.

This situation if not checked by the authorities would scare investors away, thereby frustrating efforts at creating enabling environment by the government to make available the much  desired job opportunities it has planned for.

Some notable Nigerians said the resolved to attack security men by gunmen portend a very dangerous signal to both investors and citizens of this country.  “Nowhere is safe now in this country” they said

Seven Police officers were killed in River while in Anambra State, five persons were reported killed by gunmen in Ozubulu, in the Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Also a Police station in Akwa Ibom State was equally attacked, all at the weekend

The office and vehicles belonging to the vigilance group in the Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State area was set ablaze.

A businessman whose identity could not be ascertained as of press time was among those killed.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, Ikenga Tochukwu confirmed the incident but said he had not been briefed on the number of casualties.

The PPRO said,” Yes, there was an attack on Ozubulu but not the police station but vigilante office by the hoodlums

“They came in Sienna vehicles, motorcycles and attacked the office of the vigilante. Security operatives have been deployed to the area and normalcy has been restored.

He said the incident happened around 7pm on Sunday

A source in the area said five bodies were found at the scene of the incident

Meanwhile there is palpable tension in Akwa Ibom State as Gunmen suspected to be Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, attacked the Divisional Police Headquarters, located in Odoro Ikpe village, Ini local government area and killed six policemen while on duty
It was gathered that the gunmen who attacked about 3am on Saturday, May, 8, 2021.

last Saturday was  exactly one week when the hoodlums had attacked Ikono Police Divisional Headquarters and killed two police officers who were on duty. Subsequently on Sunday May 2, they torched the Area office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and destroyed Electoral materials.

A manhunt is underway after a night of violence left at least seven police officers dead in Nigeria’s oil-rich Rivers State on Friday.

Gunmen opened fire on a checkpoint in the southern state, then drove to two police stations, killing officers and burning patrol cars, police say.

Police killed two of the attackers but are searching for those who escaped.

It is not clear who was behind the killings, but the region has seen a surge in separatist attacks on police.

The unidentified armed men, driving a Toyota Hilux van, launched their “surprise assault” on the checkpoint at Choba Bridge at around 20:30 local time (19:30 BST) on Friday, police spokesperson Nnamdi Omoni said.

After shooting dead two police officers at the checkpoint, they killed two more officers and set fire to a patrol car at Rumuji police station, Mr Omoni said. Police fired back there and killed two of the attackers, he said.

The remaining gunmen then killed three more officers at the Elimgbu police station, he added.

A number of police officers and soldiers have been killed in the region in recent weeks, prompting a night-time curfew.

However in Oyo State, a combined efforts of local hunters, Amotekun Corps and the Nigeria Police have led to the arrest of eight bandits who mounted illegal roadblocks at Igangan, in Oyo State.

The policemen from Iganna Division were said to have combed Budu Uberu, off Ofeegun village via Igangan and got the suspected robbers arrested.

The hoodlums were among other 23 suspected criminals paraded by the Oyo State Police Command, Eleyele, Ibadan at the weekend.

While parading the suspects at the State Police headquarters, the State Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, said, “On 2nd May, 2021 at about 1000hrs, a group of men attempted to dispossess motorists along Elekokan/Iganna road of their valuables, an action that was repelled by officers attached to Iganna Divisional Police Headquarters in collaboration with operatives of Amotekun Corps, causing suspects to flee with gunshot injuries, leaving behind a locally made single barrel pistol at the scene of crime.”

Upon receipt of this information, she went noted, “the divisional police officer quickly mobilized a combined team of local hunters, Amotekun Corps and personnel from Iganna Division to comb Budu Uberu, off Ofeegun village via Igangan, where it was gathered through intelligence that suspects were receiving treatments from gunshot injuries earlier sustained from the repelling actions of the Police and others”.

“Consequent upon this, the suspects were arrested and exhibits as listed below were recovered from them. Investigation is still in progress while suspects remain in Police custody.”

She gave the names of the suspects as Abubakar Muhammadu Wantudi aged 22 yrs, Nadera Muhammadu Wantudi, Muhammadu Umar, 22 yrs, Muhammadu Bako, 26 yrs, Awalu Bako, 20 yrs, Abubakar Usman, 37 yrs, Awalu Garba, 40 yrs, and Abubakar Usman Bako, 27 yrs.

Items allegedly recovered from the suspects include, four locally made single barrel guns, three cutlasses, three axes, one knife, two dangerous rods, charms concealed in their hideouts, two pairs of slippers, two torch lights, and one hoe.