Police officer murdered in Bayelsa

A police officer, identified as Mathew Akpos, has been allegedly murdered in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa state.

According to PUNCH, the incident happened late Tuesday.

Some gunmen reportedly gunned down Akpos, said to be an assistant superintendent of police (ASP), close to the OMPADEC school field in Amarata area of the state capital.

The victim, who was said to have once worked at Ologbobiri, Southern Ijaw local government area of the state.

The newspaper said stray bullets from the gunshots fired at the scene of the incident hit an elderly woman, who is a trader in the area in the leg and stomach.

The unnamed woman was reportedly rushed to the Federal Medical Centre where doctors were said to be battling to save her life.

The gunmen were described as a “special police squad” from unknown division. It has yet to be ascertained what the mission of the gunmen was.

“The gunmen dressed like a special police squad. They wore the outfits of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and police bulletproof vests,” PUNCH quoted a resident, who craved anonymity, as saying.

The witness said the gunmen drove into the community on a black Hilux vehicle and accosted their target.

“There were gunshots all over the place. I was at a supermarket directly opposite the scene of the incident. The way they drove into the community was suspicious and sent panic waves all over the place,” he said.

“But the gunshots caused panic in the area as people, even youths, who were playing football, abandoned the game and scampered for safety.”

But another source from the community said the gunmen trailed the victim to the area and wanted to force him into their vehicle.

The source, who did not want to be named, claimed that while Akpos was being dragged into the car, he resisted his assailants and in the process pulled out his service pistol from its casing and shot at the gunmen.

“One of the gunmen who was standing close to the Hilux van immediately pulled out his gun and shot the victim who fell to the ground,” he said.

“They later took his body into their vehicle and zoomed off. Bullets also hit a woman in her 60s. She was taken to the hospital where doctors operated on her.

“We are still living in shock because we don’t know the motive behind the operation that led to the killing of a police officer by persons who looked like his colleagues.”

The report quoted Asinim Butswat, police public relations officer in the state, as saying information at the disposal of the police was still sketchy.

He, however, said investigations were ongoing to solve the mysteries surrounding the incident.