By Sampson Boroh
A police sergeant attached to the Bayelsa State Police Command, Charles Biweribo, is now battling for life after suspected herdsmen repeatedly stabbed him for stopping them from grazing inside a hotel premises in Yenagoa, the state capital.
It was also gathered that the suspected herdsmen also attempted to dispossess the injured police sergeant during the attack.
The incident happened around Tower Five-Star Hotel area near the flyover at Azikoro Road axis of the State capital at about 5am on Monday.
Biweribo, a native of Toru-Ebeni community of Bayelsa, was said to have told the herdsmen not to graze in the premises, a situation that resulted to an altercation between him and the marauding herders.
It was learnt that herdsmen declined to heed his explanation but went ahead to graze in the area
“As the altercation was ongoing, one of the herdsmen dived Sgt Charles and started dragging his service rifle.
“Thank God for the intervention of other of his police colleagues, the life of Sgt Charles Biweribo was spared, but was njured. One of the herdsmen was arrested”, a police source told our correspondent.
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When contacted, spokesman of the State Police Command, Asinim Butswat, confirmed the incident to newsmen on Wednesday.
According to him, two of the herdsmen had been arrested by police operatives and were currently undergoing interrogation over the attack.
”On 10/03/2020 at about 0700 hours one Dautra Abakara and one Agonto Gimta amongst others, entered the premises of a leading construction company’s yard at the uncompleted Basket Tower Hotel, Azikoro, with cows for grazing”.
“The Policemen on duty and civilian guards asked them to leave the premises, the herders refused to leave. In an attempt to arrest them, one of the herdsmen tried to disarm a Policeman, the officer’s cocked rifle exploded and the bullet pierced his right foot”, Butswat said.