Police Inspector killed, AK47 riffle snatched while sleeping on duty

TRACKING___A police Inspector was yesterday attacked by unknown person and stabbed to death while relaxing inside a patrol van at check-point along the Ogwashi Uku- Ughelli highway in Delta State. The perpetrator also stole the AK47 riffle of the Inspector.

The victim’s team members that were engaging motorists in a stopand- search routine were said to be dumb-foundedby the killing. This came two weeks after a gang of armed robbers unleashed terror on men of the Anti-Crime Patrol in the state, injured three members of the team and snatched their riffles.

The squad attached to ‘C’ Divisional Headquarters in Asaba, the state capital, were allegedly extorting money from motorists around 9pm at the popular Abraka Market, opposite the Sandi Gold Hotel when the hoodlums struck. The victims of the attack were said to have sustained deep machete cuts from the bandits.

The recent attack was the fourth of such attacks in the last two years within Asaba metropolis. It was in the same manner that a police squad was attacked early last year at the ever-busy Kowen Plaza Junction during a routine check and the leader of the team was killed with machete cuts. Another policeman was allegedly killed by a tricycle rider who mobilised his gang against a police team after refusing to pay their illegal N50 extortion.

Prior to this, a police patrol team was waylaid at the popular Cable- Point in Asaba by a gang of tricycle (Keke) riders, suspected to be Hausa boys. The victim was beaten to coma with club and he died thereafter. In all the cases, AK47 rifles were stolen. One of the wounded police officers in the attack, one Inspector Danbaki, has become a regular victim of bandits’ attacks. The stabbed police inspector in the patrol van was said to be sleeping on duty inside the patrol vehicle near the Obansanjo Farms at Olloh, few kilometers from Ogwashi-Uku town at about 8pm on Thursday.