BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME, PORT HARCOURT

The above headline question is on several lips at the moment. Indeed, this is a time to be wary if you are a police man in Rivers State. According to the state Police Commissioner, Mr Suleiman Abba, about six police men, including an Inspector, were gunned down and their rifles taken within the last two weeks.

Taking up from there, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ben Ugwuegbulam informed that on Tuesday, June 7, some hoodlums attacked Police men on duty under the Eliozu Bridge, killing two of them on the spot, including an inspector. One other reportedly sustained severe gunshot injuries.

The police was yet to recover from the sad development when hoodlums struck again a day after, precisely on June 8 at Rumuekini Police Check point. After every attack, according to the Police PRO, the hoodlums would disappear with rifles of the police men.

His words: “(We have)information about a gang of kidnappers, armed robbers terrorising Port Harcourt and environs, killing police men and taking their rifles; they attacked and killed three police men under the Eliozu bridge on 7/6/11 and Rumuekini Police check point on 8/6/11”.

The hoodlums became more daring when on June 15 they made attempt to overrun the Mile One Police Station located in the heart of Port Harcourt, the state capital. Though they were successfully repelled by policemen at the station but the development further strengthened speculations in several quarters that some persons were after the police in the state capital.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, this time the hoodlums stormed the police arena in “a taxi cab with Skye Bank advert colour, attacked policemen conducting stop and search in front of Diobu Police station“. He further said that the hoodlums who were four in number, later escaped through Aba Road, one of the major roads in the state capital, adding that some members of the gang fled with bullet injuries.

Meantime, the Police recently celebrated its victory against a gang suspected to be after its men. The Police boss said his men led by his Assistant Commissioner, smoked the group out of their hideout at Umuopu, Aluu, the host community of University of Port Harcourt. One of them was arrested, while two others escaped with bullet injuries.

He informed that seven AK 47 rifles, one browning pistol, 625 rounds of 7.62 mm, 106 rounds of 5.56mm, 55 AK 47 magazines were among items recovered from the gang. He further listed one Range Rover Sports HSE and Infinity Jeep, FX 53 among the items recovered from them.

The Police Commissioner said the gang was led by a repentant militant whose name he simply gave as Bishop. The suspect who was paraded before news men said he was a driver to the leader of the gang. He said he joined the employ of the gang leader about six months ago.

The Police Commissioner called for collaboration between the public and the police to effectively combat crime. According to him, crusade against crime is a shared responsibility, and the police would effectively succeed when the people assist with relevant information. He assured that the police would continue to do its best to make the state peaceful.

It was, however, for the Police as five corps members kidnapped two weeks ago in Rivers State have regained their freedom. A statement from PPRO Ugwuegbulam, said they were freed on Sunday night at Ama, Omoku in Rivers State.

According to him, they were rescued by Mobile Policemen on stop and search operations at Omerenu point of the Port Harcourt-Owerri Road, adding that they have since been handed over to the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brigadier General M.I. Tsiga who was in the state for several days to seek ways to secure the release of the corps members.

The corps members were kidnapped two weeks ago at Omademe on their way from a school in the community where they had gone to commission a library project they built as part of their community development service. The released hostages were four females and a male. According to the Police, they were released hale and hearty.

Members of the NYSC and residents of the state received the news of their release with much joy. They, however, urged those behind abductions and other related crimes in the state to turn a new leaf.