A combined team of security operatives on Tuesday recovered the bodies of 10 of the slain policemen along the creek of Azuzuama in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, contrary to media reports that perpetrators of the heinous act went away with their bodies.
The development proves that, contrary to claims by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the bodies were neither taken away nor the attack carried out by its men.
The recent development also confirms that the attack was carried out by a group of disgruntled ex-militants who have issues to settle among themselves but have clearly over stepped their bounds by their action.
Confirming the report, Bayelsa State State Commissioner of Police, Kingsley Omire disclosed that it took the combined efforts of men of the Joint Security Task Force (JTF) to ensure the recovery of the corpses.
The affected security gunmen were attacked on their way to Azuzuama last Friday. Four of them, according to the security reports were rescued alive.
In a related development, the state government has debunked the claim that MEND was responsible for the attack. Governor Seriake Dickson, who stated that the killings were unacceptable, noted that there was no iota of truth in the claim that MEND was responsible.
Restating his administration’s zero tolerance for crime, the governor assured the bereaved families and the entire people of the state that the security operatives are closing in on the perpetrators.
The Bayelsa State Government also reassured families of the 12 policemen killed in the attack that their deaths would not go in vain, as the government is determined more than ever before to bring the perpetrators to book.
The statement warned that the recently appointed State Special Prosecutor and the Special Team is purely geared towards fast-tracking the investigation of criminal cases to ensure that culprits receive the right sentences and serve the punishments.
The statement added that, henceforth anybody arrested and found guilty of any offence, especially those criminally related, will not only be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted but will also face the full penalties of the law.
