There were signs of rising anger at the weekend
among the residents of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital following the
shooting to death of two persons including a 5 years old girl by teams of
Special Anti-Robbery squad of the Nigerian Police during a raid on cult gangs
engaged in violent battle along the Ekeki Community of the Yenagoa Local
Government Council.
According
to Residents of the area, though the Special Anti-Robbery squad responded to
the distress calls on the cult related violence in the area, they left three
innocent persons dead and one shot in the ribs but could not arrest any of the
rival cult gangs engaged in bloody battle.
Leadership gathered that the incident, which
occurred at about 4pm on Saturday threw the residents of Ekeki and adjourning
streets into panic as loud gunshot exchanges
were heard from the men of the Anti-Robbery squad.
A
resident, who identified himself as kingsley, said those shot dead by the
superior fire power of the police were a 30 years old Igbo man popularly known
as Inyan and a 5 years old girl identified as Godsgift Odoku.
They
were both shot dead during the pursuit of the cult members of a notorious group
known as Islanders.
According to eyewitness, ” the cult boys came
into Ekeki community at about 2pm to bury one of their gang members. They were
in deadly mood and went to Yenezue-Epie with the mood. But the SARS team chased
them away.”
“But
they later re-grouped at Ekeki community and saw two girls entering the area to
visit their boyfriends and they collected their mobile phones. While the girls
ran away, their boy friends called the Police. One of the girls later came back
with some men of SARS and while pursuing the cultists to the waterside, they
released gun shots and it missed their target and killed the two innocent
people.”
The
SARS team immediately left the scene after confirming that their shot killed
some innocent persons.
A
resident of Ammarata Area of the State,identified as Chinedu, said though the
response time of the police team has increased,” the cases of indiscriminate
arrest and killing of innocent persons are on the rise,” I was a victim. I was
arrested for going to my house after close of work around 8pm. And had to pay
cash for my freedom at about 1am at “A” Division”
-Leadership
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