Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has reacted to the recent attacks on police formations and killing of officers in the State.
The Governor said the attacks were carried out by those he described as unidentified gunmen, adding that these people “are bent on plunging Nigeria into another unwarranted crisis.”
Seven police officers were killed at different points in the State between Friday and Saturday.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Nnamdi Omoni, in a statement at the weekend said that the attack which took place at 8:30pm, on Friday was carried out by “unknown gunmen who drove in two branded Hilic vans.”
Omoni said two policemen were killed by the gunmen at a special checkpoint between Choba community in Obio/Akpor and Emohua Local Government Areas and burnt a private car belonging to one of the officers.
The Rivers Police Spokesman said the second attack was launched on a police station in Rumuji, a town along the Bayelsa axis of the East west road in Emohua LGA and dropped two more policemen dead and set a police patrol van ablaze.
According to the PPRO, the third attack was launched on another police station in Elimgbu Community in Obio/Akpor LGA, where three additional police officers were killed.
Omoni, however, disclosed that the officers at the Rumuji police station were able to put up a “strong resistance” and in the process, “fatally wounded two of the attackers who died on the spot.”
Omoni added that, in Elimgbu the officers there also engaged the attackers in a gunfight which forced the hoodlums to “abandon their bullet ridden Hilux van, while they escaped with various degrees of gunshot wounds with a snatched sienna bus.”
Wike’s statement signed by his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri, said, “He, on behalf of the Government and people of Rivers State, expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the Policemen and the Rivers State Police Command.”
The Governor called on residents to be calm, adding that “the Security Council has taken measures to secure the State.”
