6 policemen killed, 5 stations razed in Oyo

Six police officers were murdered while many others are still missing, Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Nwachukwu Enwonwu, said yesterday.

He made the confirmation during the parade of nine suspects arrested in connection with the burning and looting of the Iseyin Divisional Police Headquarters in Oke-Ogun Area at the Eleyele, Ibadan. He said six persons earlier arrested in Ogbomoso had been charged two court.

Enwonwu said five divisional police headquarters and police patrol vehicles were burnt during the protest in the state, just as exhibits were looted or carted away alongside police arms and ammunition “due to activities of criminal elements who capitalised on the protest to perpetrate their heinous crimes.”

He raised the alarm over the number of AK-47 rifles that were in the wrong hands saying the trend called for serious concern.

The police boss said hoodlums that hijacked the protest went as far as trailing some police officers to their homes with a view to killing them. The police, he said, would reveal accurate figures of the its officials that lost their lives to the protests, those injured and firearms that carted away after the ongoing stocktaking.

He appealed to members of the public to assist the police by giving useful information that could lead to the recovery of firearms looted from burnt police stations in order to prevent an upsurge in crime rate in the state,

In the same vein, Anambra Police Command said it lost four police officers including the DPO, Osumenyi Division, a station officer, constable and an inspector attached to the Anti-Cult Unit.

Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, John Abang, who stated this at a press briefing in Awka, said hoodlums who hijacked the peaceful protest also set ablaze 11 police stations, vandalised six stations, carted away motorcycles kept as exhibits,burnt over 20 vehicles, including patrol and exhibit vehicles and an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC).

He said two policemen were badly injured while government and private facilities such as the Revenue House, Ocha Brigade office and private trucks loaded with goods were vandalised and looted.

He said in spite of attempts by hoodlums to create a state of lawlessness, the police stood its ground and successfully repelled the attacks in various formations such as Area Command Onitsha, Ogidi, Awada, Central Police Station, Onitsha , Inland Town and ‘B’ Divisions.

He paraded 17 suspects arrested with several exhibits recovered, including one AK-47 rifle stolen from Ogbunike Division, one pump action gun, axe, cutlasses, one 63mm smoke