Isaac Ombe, Yenagoa
There seems to be discordant voices between the Bayelsa Police Command and members of the Nembe Bassambiri Community over the gunmen that allegedly invaded the cmmunity in police uniform, last Saturday.
While the state’s Police Command said the gunmen were policemen on special duty from the Force Headquarters, in Abuja, to investigate alleged arms build-up in the community, but members of the community insisted that they were gunmen in police uniform who were believed to have been sponsored by some top politicians of the community aiming to cause insecurity ahead of the November gubernatorial elections in the state.
The oil-rich of Nembe is known for political violence over the years especially during electoral periods.
But in a statement made available in Yenagoa by Asinim Butswat, titled, ‘RE: NEMBE BASSAMBIRI POLICE OPERATIONS’, the Police Command said that “contrary to the misleading information being circulated on social media platforms that armed thugs dressed in Police uniforms invaded Nembe Bassambiri community, on 12 August 2023, they were policemen on special mission from Abuja to rid the community of alleged arms build-up.
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“The Bayelsa State Police Command wishes to state categorically that a detachment of Mobile Policemen (PMF) and SWAT operatives from Force Headquarters, Abuja, carried out a sting operation in Nembe Bassambiri on 12 August 2023”
“Some arms and ammunition were recovered and suspects were arrested.
According to Butswat, “the sting operation was conducted professionally, based on the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the Nigeria Police Force. No life was lost.”
The Police Command, therefore, advised members of the community to go about their lawful and legitimate businesses as “the Police would not harass or intimidate any law-abiding citizen, disclosing that investigation was ongoing on their complaints and the outcome would be made public.
But the community, through its chairman, Opu-Nembe Council of Chief’s, Chief (Barr.) Ezekiel Samuel Teigbenyo-Ikoli and Secretary, Chief Johnbull Efere, in a statement, on Saturday night, alleged that the reported invasion was carried by gunmen in Police uniform sponsored by some desperate politicians of the community’s extraction because of the forthcoming guber elections in the state.
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Alleging that the attack on the Opu-Nembe community was the fourth by men on Police uniform, the statement, added that “Women were raped and so the youths, women and the chiefs of the community resisted the attack but some persons sustained different degree of injuries while they ran for safety.
The statement called on the Federal Government, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Olukayode Egbetokun and the various security agencies to investigate and arrest those behind the incessant attacks on the kingdom.
“The community was peaceful until the deployment of the unknown policemen.
“The safety and well-being of the Opu-Nembe community should be of paramount importance, and swift government intervention is crucial to ensure their protection”, the community appealed.