There was a melo-drama at Mechanic Village, Tombia, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Monday, as alleged fraudsters resisted arrest and instead ‘detained’ two police operatives detailed to effect their arrest.
The policemen from Akenfa Police Division on the outskirts of Yenagoa, had gone to the park with a complainant, Mr. Frederick Ojukwu, and a witness, Mr. Ebi Ozegbe, over alleged fraud involving N140,000.
It was learnt that the complainant, a restaurateur, gave the suspects the N140,000 as a deposit for a second hand vehicle which he intended to use for commercial service.
Ojukwu was said to have given out the money with the understanding that after inspecting the vehicle, he would offset the balance.
It was gathered the suspects, the arrowhead identified simply as Obum, had shown the complainant a rickety vehicle, said to be good only for the museum, which Ojukwu rejected and demanded his deposit back.
The suspects, it was learnt, agreed to pay him (Ojukwu) back, but unknown to him, the suspects were not sincere with the promise.
After the encounter, the suspects allegedly went at large for months, leaving the complainant in a quandary.
Luck was said to have run out on the alleged fraudsters when information got to the complainant that his ‘business partners’ had resurfaced at the park.
Without hesitation, Ojukwu was said to have contacted Ozegbe, a journalist, and they went straight to Akenfa Police Station to lodge a complaint.
At the station, Ojukwu and Ozegbe, were given two policemen to accompany them to the park to arrest the suspects.
It was learnt that as soon as they accosted the suspects, the suspects threw caution to the wind, grabbed the four in collaboration with other people, and gave them beating of their lives.
In the ensuing melee, they (suspects and their collaborators) tore the uniforms of the policemen, seized the phones of the complainant and the journalist and later kept the policemen ‘hostage’.
It was learnt that the presence of the Public Relations Officer of the Bayelsa Command, Mr. Alex Akhigbe, who had gone there to fix his car, did not assuage the mob to allow the policemen to carry out their duties.
An eyewitness, who wished to be anonymous for fear of being identified, claimed that the four, including the two policemen, could have been lynched if not for the timely intervention of police reinforcement led by the Divisional Police Officer of Akenfa.
The reinforcement team, the eyewitness said, succeeded in freeing their held colleagues and effected the arrests of some of the mobsters.
The spokesman for the police, Alex Akhigbe, confirmed the incident.
Akhigbe, while fielding questions from journalists, said he was outraged that some people could develop impunity to obstruct policemen from carrying out their constitutional responsibility.
He said the situation could not have gone that bad if the suspects simply agreed to follow the policemen, who were on legal duty, to the station, to explain what they knew of the allegation levelled against them.
The police image maker said, “I was at the Mechanic Village about 4pm on the fateful day. I went there to fix my car when I saw a large crowd. I was attracted to the scene. On enquiry, I was told that the mechanics said they do not allow policemen to arrest any of their members.
“I told them what they were doing by preventing policemen from carrying out their constitutional duties was dangerous. I tried to make peace by urging the leadership of the park to bring some people to accompany the suspects to the station, they refused.
“Then I sensed that the matter would go out of hand if there was no reinforcement. I had to call the DPO to first ascertain if the policemen were there legally and if so to call for reinforcement. He said they were there legally. Then I asked him to send reinforcement to be able to control the situation which had grown into mob action.
“Luckily, the DPO himself led a team to the park and was able to arrest the situation. The police team rescued our men and arrested eight persons including Obum while other mobsters escaped.”
He said it was highly disappointing that members of the public and people at the park could obstruct the police from carrying out their duties.
He urged the members of the public to desist from such acts, saying it was not the civilised thing to do.
Akhigbe said the arrested persons would soon be charged to court. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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