Death of SARS personnel: Police, soldiers take over Oyigbo

Yobe state Governor, Mai Mala Buni (right) putting heads together with his Deputy, Idi Barde Gubana (left) at the launch of Yobe contrbutory health scheme in Damaturu yesterday. YGH

Barely 48 hours after the brutal murder of a police officer attached to the Special Anti Robbery Squard (SARS) at Oyigbo, River State by gunmen suspected to be cultists, heavily armed policemen and soldiers have taken over strategic locations and flash points in the community.

Gunmen suspected to be cultists had Wednesday night abducted and killed a police officer attached to the Special Anti Robbery Squard, SARS in the boundary between Rivers and Abia states in Oyigbo, Rivers State.

The suspected cultists who have been terrorising the Rivers/Abia boundary areas of the state abducted and killed the police officer said to be attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) headquarters in Port Harcourt deployed to Oyigbo .

The police officer who was on special duty in Oyigbo took permission from his superior officer to refresh when he was abducted, taken captive inside the bush and later murdered.

The suspected criminals later went beserk and set ablaze a Toyota Hilux belonging to the SARS personnel attached to Oyigbo before escaping to the neighbouring Abia community.

Community sources from Oyigbo told our reporter that heavily armed policemen and soldiers have taken over flash points in

Oyigbo such as Aba/Port Harcourt Express Way, Old Aba/Port Harcourt road, Kom kom, School Junction , Mbano Camp roundabout as well as Afam roundabout.

The source said that the combined detachments of policemen and soldiers have embarked on house to house search to fish out killers of the police officer.

Rivers State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Nnmadi Omoni confirmed to our correspondent that SARS Office in Oyigbo was attacked by suspected hoodlums on Wednesday.

He said that police have arrested 22 suspects in connection with the incident while the entire area has been stabilized and security beefed up.