Police begin manhunt for hoodlums who killed 2 policemen, other

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

The Police in Rivers State have begun manhunt for armed hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers who invaded a Port Harcourt Night Club and killed two policemen and a civilian.

Eyewitnesses said that the invasion The Boss Night Club on Woji road in GRA Phase 2, may have been a kidnapped attack operation.

One of the handlers of the night club who pleaded anonymity decried the constant attacks on their businesses by suspected hoodlums and other touting going on in that area.”

He said “we are just managing to stay afloat, with huge wage bills, different types of settling of the boys, government agents, touts and petty thieves who harass ladies and snatching of handsets.”

A Similar incident happened a week ago at a Eneka in Obio-Akpor local Government area, where gunmen opened fire at football lovers watching their favourite games at a viewing center.

However, the Rivers State Police Command confirmed the death of two policemen and a civilian at a popular night club around the GRA axis on woji Road.

The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Nnamdi Omoni told Journalists that the suspected kidnappers had stormed the night club at 10pm on Sunday night and opened fire on the gathering which killed two policemen and a civilian.

He said the hoodlums were however repelled by a gallant police officers who also got bullet wounds.

A statement by the PPRO reads, ‘’On 5/5/19 at about 2200hrs, unknown gunmen attacked four policemen on duty in GRA where in a surprised attack, shot two of our men, while one of the officers who was gallant enough, repelled them and killed one of the armed robbers and recovered three AK47 rifles, including the one belonging to the dead armed robber, which was loaded with sixty rounds of live ammunition.

“Meanwhile other members of the gang with gunshot wounds escaped. The Command has declared serious manhunt for them. The onslaught has just begun and no efforts will be spared in smoking them out and bringing them to Justice.”

In a related development, Governor Nyesom Wike has threatened to depose traditional rulers in the state who allowed crimes like cultism, kidnapping, robbery and other sundry crimes to fester.

He vowed that the state government was ready to take war to the door steps of criminals who were making the state unbearable.