A divisional police officer (DPO) and some of his men were reportedly killed by unknown gunmen during a midnight raid to rescue kidnapped victims in Delta state.
The DPO, simply identified as CSP Jega, and his team were ambushed by kidnappers near the Agbarho rail station at around 1:00 a.m. on Monday.
According to an inside source, the police received distress calls at 1:30 a.m. about kidnapped victims trapped along the Agbarho Railway Station.
The DPO quickly mobilized his team, but they were unaware of the kidnappers’ ambush.
According to an inside source, “there were distress calls at about 1.30am on Monday to the new DPO that some persons had been kidnapped and their vehicle was trapped along the Agbarho Railway Station.”
“Immediately, the new DPO contacted his Orerokpo counterpart and mobilised and went to the area but unknown to them, the kidnappers had laid ambush and as soon as the kidnappers sighted the police team, they immediately opened fire on them.
“The new Agbarho DPO was killed instantly, and his Orerokpo counterpart, another DPO, was seriously wounded and is currently on the danger list in an undisclosed hospital,” the source revealed.
The source added that some other policemen on the rescue team were also killed but the actual number of the casualties on the side of the police was not immediately ascertained as at the time of this report.
According to the source, there were also casualties within the kidnappers’ camp but the actual figure is still unknown.
Delta Human Rights Activist, Comrade Israel Joe reported the incident on his Facebook page, expressing his pain and condolences.
He said: “The New DPO Agbarho who resumed two days ago, The DPO Orerokpe CSP Paul and their men, who went for a kidnap rescue operation at about 1:am in the early hours of today were ambushed close to the Agbarho rail Station.
“There was an exchange of fire, the new DPO, and some policemen were kÃIIed while the Orerokpe DPO has been rushed to an undisclosed hospital where he is battling with his life.
“I feel very hurt about this news. This was the same DPO I spoke with yesterday about the conduct of his men who demanded money from a citizen, and he rescued the situation immediately, cautioning his men not to try that again under his watch,” Joe said.
“This is very tearful, I can, to some extent, attest to the characters of these men.
“I wish to convey my condolences to the Nigeria Police Force, the CP Delta State Command, the entire family and friends of the police who lost their lives in a quest to save society in the front line of duty.
“None of these demons should be spared by the force,” he said.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), in the state, SP Bright Edafe, was yet to respond to messages sent to him as of the time of filing the report.
