By Samson Boroh
Palpable tension has gripped Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital following killings of a lawyer, policeman and two youths by gunmen suspected to be cultists and armed robbers in separate attacks during the last weekend.
It was gathered that the police sergeant said to be attached to the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) codenamed Operation Delta Safe was learnt to have been killed during a gun duel between two rival cult groups identified as Greenlanders and Icelanders.
The policeman whose identity could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report was gunned down at Otiotio area of the state capital on Friday.
Security sources said the police sergeant was not on duty when he was killed at Otiotio junction in Yenagoa. The sources added that he was hit by a stray bullet fired by warring cultists at rivals.
On the killing of the lawyer identified as Barr. Abel Ozi, sources told WARRI TODAY he was killed by suspected armed robbers last week Thursday.
Ozi, who was Yenagoa based legal practitioner, was shot dead at the Opolo market area of the State capital and a sum of N1.9million stolen from him.
He was said have been trailed by his killers from the bank where he had gone to make withdrawal of the said stolen money.
“He was double-crossed at the Opolo area and was shot when he refused to open the car when refused to hand the money to the robbers. His driver was also shot. Everyone in the area scampered for safety during the attack. After they took the money, they shot him on his abdomen. He died on arrival at the hospital”, our source added.
Also two others were killed in separate cult shootings at Kpasia and Gwegwe areas of the State capital.
It was gathered that apart from the killing of the policeman, whose name was kept under wraps, a suspected cultist was also killed in the battle.
The supremacy battle, which created tension in some parts of Yenagoa, the state capital, was reportedly caused by the killing of a leader of one of the cult groups, the Greenlanders.
The cult leader, nicknamed Arrow, was said to have been killed at Gwegwe area of Yenagoa by a rival cult group identified as the Icelanders.
His fellow cult members reportedly vowed to avenge his death, a situation that led to bloody clashes in some parts of the capital city.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Asinim Butswat, who confirmed the shooting of the lawyer, but declined comment on the killing of the police Sergeant, saying he was yet to be briefed on the development.
