Pirates kill 3 policemen in Bayelsa

Sea pirates have killed three policemen they kidnapped along the Nembe River in Bayelsa yesterday. The sea pirates were said to have opened fire on a police gunboat which was escorting a barge belonging to the Nigeria Agip Oil Company.

Checks by Sunday Sun indicated that sea pirates ambushed the gunboat at Sancta Barbara River and on sighting it, they opened fire to overpower the policemen, kidnapped them and seized the gunboat.

When contacted, the Bayelsa State Police Commissioner, Valentine Ntomchukwu declined comments on the incident. The PPRO, Alex Akhigbe, who was also reached on the phone said he was on assignment in Abuja and, therefore, did not have the facts.

But a police source said the attack took the policemen unawares and their attempt to resist the attack failed as the sea pirates overpowered them.

“Policemen escorting Agip barge were attacked. The gunboat and the policemen were all taken away. The policemen were three including the driver of the boat making them four. The barge and its occupants escaped because the gunboat was the target of the pirates. This incident happened along Santa Barbara and Nembe route. The pirates were after the gunboat and the police arms,” he said.