Delta police caution against killing of officers
From Sunny Ogefere, Asaba
DELTA State Police Command yesterday warned that its men would open fire on anyone that attacks them.
The decision by the command was sequel to the death of about four policemen in one week in the hands of armed bandits.
The state Commissioner for Police, Mr. Charles Akaya, who disclosed this to journalists yesterday in Asaba, the state capital, said unprovoked attacks on officers and men of the command had remained unabated.
According to him, three policemen, an assistant superintendent of police (ASP), an inspector and a constable were killed by armed men in one week, this month.
He said the ASP was killed at Ovie Palace Road, Effurun the same day the constable was killed along Effurun/Agbarho Road.
Akaya said the trend of unprovoked attacks and killing of policemen in the state must stop as the command is now prepared to hit back instantly.
He explained that the concept of Operation Fire for Fire was not for policemen to be at the receiving end of attacks but to hit back instantly when attacked.
The police commissioner added that the command had been careful to avoid making innocent persons victims, but lamented that some of the "innocent persons" had turned out to be shielding criminals from the law in their houses and hotels.
"These unwarranted attacks will no more be tolerated...for the avoidance of doubts, we shall now return fire for fire", he said. He added that "any person who fires at any policeman must be prepared to be fired at".
The commissioner called on those harbouring criminals to beware because they would suffer the same fate as the hoodlums.
He cautioned medical practitioners against treating persons with bullet wounds without passing on the information to the police, saying that it was illegal.
Akaya disclosed that so far, nine suspects had been arrested in connection with the attacks on policemen but stressed that "the public has a responsibility to inform the nearest police station of suspected characters in their neighbourhood".
