Residents of Akemfa a suburb in Yenagoa on Saturday
blocked all access roads to protest the killing Tariela Nikadae, a 20 year old
undergraduate by a member of a Police Patrol Team on Friday.
Policemen in patrol vans load people from their
neigbourhoods and sent to detention centre near the Police headquarters in
Yenagoa where they are meant to pay to secure their liberty.
The protest by angry youths who claimed the victim was
innocent and a known person without criminal tendencies disrupted vehicular
movement in the area compelling residents to remain in the area.
The incident is sequel to coordinated police raids
leading to arbitrary mass arrests and detention of residents by the Special
Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Bayelsa Police Command.
It was gathered that the operation followed the
withdrawal of the Bayelsa Government Security outfit, Operation Doo Akpo deployed
patrol vans to arrest people and convey to the SARS detention facility in
Yenagoa.
The arrested residents many of whom were whisked from
their residences were detained overnight and freed after they were screened
when their relatives come to report their disappearance.
Reacting to the development and subsequent killing of the
student of Bayelsa Government owned Niger Delta University, Police Spokesman,
DSP Asinim Butswat said the trigger happy cop has been disarmed and arrested.
Butswat said that the circumstances that led to the death
of the 20 year old was ‘questionable’ and being investigated, adding that the
command would make its findings public after its investigations.
“Bayelsa State Police Command condoles with the family
and assures that justice will be done.
“The Bayelsa State Police Command regrets the unfortunate
incident involving a Police Officer and a resident of Tenacious Road, Edepie,
Yenagoa.
“On 23 November, 2018, Sergeant Timadi Emmanuel attached
to a patrol team of Akenfa Division, while on patrol at Tenacious Road, Edepie,
under questionable circumstances shot one Tariela Nikade male. aged 20..
“The victim was rushed to the hospital, where he was
later confirmed dead.
“The Sergeant has been disarmed, arrested and is undergoing orderly room
trial. Investigation is in progress and it's outcome will be made public.
“The Command is hereby appealing to residents to be calm
and assures the family and the general public that justice will be done,”
Butswat said.
Several victims of the indiscriminate arrests said that
the Policemen made no efforts to screen them without listening to their
defence.
Mr Prosper Jacobs, who was arrested alongside many others
on Thursday night said that he was assaulted and bruised for daring to tell the
Police tean that he was innocent and committed no crime.
“The team just paked their van on our street at Ebis
Mechanic road Amarata, when they wanted to force me to enter the van I insisted
on knowing what my offence was and they assaulted me and left me afterward with injuries.
“Many others were then taken away in the van and detained
overnight, their relatives were asked to pay between N5,000 and N10,000 before
they were freed,” Jacobs said.
Another victim, Michael Gibson, a civil servant said that
he was arrested when he went to buy recharge cards in Amarata area of Yenagoa
when he was picked up by the Police team and forced into the patrol van.
“They never cared to listen to any explanations, I told
them that I am a teacher and they could verify my claim from my neigbours and
they took me and others and locked up, my brother had negotiated and paid them
to free me.
“I heard them discussing the amount in low tones and they
have a room where relatives enter to pay the agreed sum, I saw my relative
enter the room but I do not know exactly how much he spent,” he said.
The Bayelsa Government had in a statement by Information Commissioner
alleged that the deployment of Police Commissioners to Bayelsa was being politicized.
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