Police arrest gunmen who killed 3 officers on patrol in Delta

Police arrest gunmen who killed 3 officers on patrol in Delta

The Nigeria Police Force, Delta State command, has arrested two members of the gang that killed three police officers attached to the Dragon Patrol Team.

Three police officers attached to the Dragon Patrol Team, Delta State police command were killed by gunmen numbering about six on Sunday while on a stop-and-search duty along the Ughelli/Asaba Road by IDU Roundabout, Oleh, headquarters of the Isoko South Local Government Area of the state.

The names of the three policemen killed by the gunmen had been given as Inspector Monday Orowhigoh, Inspector Festus Obey and a yet-to-be-identified mobile policeman, according to police sources.

The service rifles of the deceased police officers were also carted away while their patrol van was set ablaze by the hoodlums.

Confirming the arrest of the gang members, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bright Edafe, in a statement on Monday, said two members of the gang were arrested and three AK-47 rifles and one assault rifle were recovered.

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“In response to the attack on police operatives attached to Dragon Patrol team on 23/7/2023, at about 1140hours while on a stop-and-search duty at Oleh roundabout by suspected bandits, who shot and killed two operatives and set the patrol vehicle ablaze, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State, CP Wale Abass, detailed a combined team of policemen attached to Ozoro Area command, Dragon patrol to go after the attackers.

“With the support of troops from the Nigerian Army, 63 Brigade and members of the local vigilante the men swung into action.

“During the operation, the combined team engaged the hoodlums in a serious gun duel, subdued the hoodlums who fled into the bush having been inflicted gunshot injuries. The team traced their blood to a river where one AK-47 rifle was recovered on the same date of the incident. The response team sustained the tempo and continued the operation on 24/7/2023. Acting on credible intelligence, they stormed Erewa community bush in Isoko North LGA, where they engaged the remnant of the bandits in serious gun duel, neutralized one of them, arrested two others, recovered two more AK-47 rifles, one Assault rifle, four magazines and twelve 7.62 AK-47 ammunition.

“Effort is still on to track down other members of the syndicate. The Commissioner of Police Delta State, CP Wale Abass psc assures residents that the Command will not relent in the fight against crime and criminality while counting on the support from well-meaning Deltans in ensuring that the State is safe for all.”

Meanwhile, it was gathered that one of the suspects confessed that he was from Enugu State but resident in Ughelli town in the state.