Sources confirmed that the kidnappers strategically positioned on top of the railway flyover and its surroundings, and being at night, they took advantage on the officers and opened fire on them unexpectedly killing the DPO on the spot, and injuring the Orerokpe DPO and other police officers as well. Though, the numbers of casualties was not confirmed by the PPRO, but an unconfirmed report by another medium not Southernvoice, claimed that other police officers, some of the kidnap victims and some of the kidnappers also lost their lives.
The murder of the officer have sent shivers across as many shed tears and pained considering the circumstances of the death.
An anonymous who spoke to SouthernVoicenews.com, lamented by saying; “The slain officer is someone’s father, he and others could have been in their home sleeping just like every other Nigerian, but for the safety and security of the public, he and his men faced the bullet.
“This is a huge sacrifice they and their families have paid just to save, protect and guard everyone”, he reacted.
Editor’s Opinion:
It is indeed a sad reality that police officers are who are not even adequately taken care of are murdered in this manner. It is high time that our leaders prioritize the provision of powerful superior weapons, mobility, training and retraining support, good welfare and well-being to the officers.
Nigerians will no doubt testify that the reasons why some of the officers and men loss their lives daily is as a result of poor and lack of provision of working resources. The working conditions are poor beginning from their welfare packages, obsolete weapons, bad vehicles, lack of night vision apparatus or available aerial cover, lack of good communications gadgets, and lack of incentives to motivate and encourage officers.
We must remember that police officers are also human beings, with families and loved ones who care about them. They deserve to be protected and supported in their duties to keep the society safe. It is time for us to demand better treatment and resources for our policemen and women, so that incidents such as superior fire, ambushing of police officers could be prevented in the future.
As we mourn the loss of the brave DPO and others who have paid the ultimate price in the line of duty, let us also remember to honor and respect all the men and women who serve in our police force. They are our guardians, our protectors, security providers and they deserve our utmost gratitude and support. Our leaders must wake up to the clarion call to provide a conducive atmosphere for our security personnel to function effectively as without them, our safety will be in jeopardy.
We at Southernvoicenews mourn with the command and indeed the entire Police force. May the soul of the slain officer rest in peace, and may his sacrifices never be forgotten and be in vain.
