Governor of Delta State and vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ifeanyi Okowa, has commiserated with the state police command and families of the three police officers who were ambushed and killed by unknown gunmen in Anambra State.
The governor noted on Saturday that the particular team of policemen “veered off from the convoy and took another route different from where the convoy was taking” before they were ambushed by the gunmen and killed.
The three policemen identified as Inspectors Lucky Aleh, Celestine Nwadiokwu and Jude Obuh, from the department of Explosives Ordinance Device, (EoD) from the Delta State Police Command, Asaba, attached to the state government house, Asaba, who were part of the advance party of the PDP vice presidential candidate to Abia State were attacked and killed on Friday at about 1:30pm by unknown gunmen at Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State while their vehicle was also set ablaze.
Governor Okowa, who spoke in a press briefing on Saturday, in Asaba, through the state commissioner for information, Charles Aniagwu, said the late officers would be greatly missed for their contributions to the peace and development of Delta, describing the unfortunate killing of the officers as barbaric and unacceptable in a country seeking to be united again for peace and development.
He said, “We bring you the sad news of our very gallant officers who have helped us in maintaining peace in our state attached to the Explosives Ordinance Disposal EOD Unit in Government House, Asaba. The officers met their untimely death while they were proceeding as advance team for the PDP National Campaign Rally in Abia.
“Unfortunately this particular team veered off from the convoy and took another route different from where the convoy was taking. They were ambushed along the Ihiala-Orlu Road en route Umuahia by non-state actors who eventually killed three of them in police uniform while the one on mufti escaped.
“We have recovered their corpses and we have also reached out to their families. Some accounts of the unfortunate incident trending on social media are untrue; the state government delayed announcing their untimely death because efforts were being made to reach out to their families before making the announcement.
“I call on security agencies in the country to fish out the killers and bring them to book so that Nigerians can once again live peacefully in any part of the country. What is happening in parts of this country today, particularly in the South East, is not healthy for our development as a country because the elections are very close.
“The security we are asking for are not just for the purpose of the elections. It is also something that everybody wants. We should be able to have security at every given time; that way, we would have development. We must also plead with our brothers and sisters who may have taken guns on the account of what they see as agitation to know that the best way to help our people, is to allow peace to reign.
“That way development will take place in the South East. Our people in the South East are very industrious, they are commerce oriented and have developed love for one another over the years. We will plead with these our brothers to allow this kind of love that permeated the atmosphere in the time past in the South East, to continue to pervade that environment.”
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