Rivers: Robbers kill 15 MOPOL in 3 weeks

Port Harcourt— No fewer than 15 mobile policemen have been killed in the last three weeks in three separate armed robbery attacks and several millions of naira carted away by bandits in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Troubled by the spate of violent robberies in the last 21 days, Governor Rotimi Amaechi vowed through his Media Manager, Mr. David Iyofor, that he would surmount the brigandage through every available means open to the government.

In one of the attacks, eight policemen escorting a bullion van from Port Harcourt International Airport to a commercial bank in the city were wiped out and the bullion van ransacked.

In that incident, we gathered that five of the armed rogues, who were dressed in mobile police uniform, were seen hanging at Rukpoku Junction and patronised an orange seller.

The thieves, it was learnt, were even seen chatting with a group of other policemen on guard duty with their stationary van at the junction before the van and police escorts from the airport arrived the spot.

As the bullion van got to the junction, it was alleged that it developed a fault and stopped, following which some members of the brigands, also in security uniform, who were driving behind the convoy from the airport promptly opened fire.

Those who were with the orange sellers joined in the shooting, killing all the escorts, the drivers and some of those on guard, including three civilians and made away with their loot. The police said N5.6 million was later recovered in the bullion van.