police

Herdsmen, dressed in Police uniform and armed with AK-47 rifles and other dangerous weapons engaged a team of policemen in a gun battle yesterday in Delta State, leaving a number of police officers, including the Area Commander, injured while some are still missing.

However, Delta State Police Commissioner, Mr Zanna Ibrahim, who spoke to Vanguard on phone yesterday evening said: “There was no injury.What happened was that the policemen were fatigued. They entered into the terrain they were not used to and some of them collapsed out of fatigue.”

Vanguard learnt that the same police team, including men of the Dragon Quick Response Squad and Ughelli Area Command Patrol Team, led by the Area Commander had stormed Orhorho community and surroundings to evaluate incessant reports of rape and attacks on the villagers by herdsmen but as soon as the policemen arrived, the herdsmen opened fire.

Though details of the incident were still sketchy at press time, a source, who craved anonymity, said the officers were ambushed by the herdsmen as they approached the community.

In a related development, it was tragedy yesterday morning as a middle-aged man was rushed into Omega Medical Centre, Afor Oghe in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State after being matcheted by a suspected Fulani herdsman.

The victim, who was still in a state of coma at the time of filing this report, lost one finger after he was attacked on his farmland.