Six police officers drafted from Force Headquarters, Abuja and Delta State Police command, Asaba have been allegedly ambushed by suspected Fulani herdsmen at Agadama community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.
Politicsgovernance.com learned that the killed six officers were among 15 others in search of the missing three Mobile police officers, Inspector Felix Onogho, Inspector Hamidu Joel and Inspector Emmanuel Okoroafor, drafted from PMF 51, Oghara to a nipping point at the Ohoror axis of the East-West road in Ughelli North on January 24.
Some of the deceased officers identified as, Inspector Abel Olobum, Sergeant Ayere Paul and Sergeant Cyril Obretim and three others drafted from PMF 51, whose identity could not be ascertained are currently missing after they were attacked while searching for their missing colleagues.
Effort to contact the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Edafe Bright was not successful as calls to his mobile line and text messages sent were not replied nor returned as at the time of this report.
According to a Senior security source from the Delta State Police Command, Asaba, “A team of police officers from the Intelligence and Respond Squad, IRT, Abuja in collaboration with PMF 51, Oghara and Anti-Kidnapping Squad from the State Police command Asaba, and the Ughelli Area Command, had gone to Agadama bush in Uwheru community in search of the three officers that were declared missing.
“The combine team came under heavy gun fire with suspected Fulani herdsmen and three of our men, Inspr. Abel Olobum, Sgt. Ayere Paul and Sgt. Cyril Obretim and three other personnel from PMF 51 whose details we cannot give got missing during the encounter.
“About 15 of our police officers are currently missing in the encounter, while the prime suspect, Moses Progress who made a distressed call that led to the killing of the previous officers on January 24, who was brought from Asaba to the crime scene, also escaped during exchange of gun battle between the police officers and the suspected Fulani herdsmen.
“During the process, one of our personnel, Inspr. Ekeinde Edwin held captive by the hoodlums was able to escaped.”
