Tension heightened in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, yesterday, over the Tuesday night shooting of three women by a policeman at the Tombia-Etegew roundabout.
The victims, including Ebinipiri Onojamadu, 46; Madufuro Blessing, 32 and Alice Azagbene, 17, were shot by the policeman who was trying to clear his patrol vehicle in a gridlock.
A witness said the policeman and his colleagues did not bother to stop as they made their way from the scene.
Investigations revealed that the policemen in the patrol vehicle were not attached to the Bayelsa State Police Command and it is believed they were on the escort team of a very important person that came to the state.
Further probe indicated that the policemen were in a white Hilux with registration number NPF 8643 C.
The women, speaking from their Gloryland Hospital beds, said they did not know their offense.
Findings indicated that the Bayelsa Police Command did not take the incident lightly as it circulated the details of the vehicle particulars to all its units which eventually led to the arrest of the patrol team.
Commissioner of Police, Mike Okoli, who was said to have been enraged with the incident, has ordered an immediate probe.
Okoli, who visited the victims at the hospital, appealed for calm with the assurance that the police would ensure those found culpable were brought to book.
A statement from the Police Public Relations Officer, Asinim Butswat, said the public should be assured that the women would get justice.
“The authorities of the Bayelsa State Police Command have identified and taken into custody the patrol team allegedly responsible for the unprovoked attack on innocent women at the Tombia-Etegwe roundabout, Yenagoa.
“The unfortunate incident occurred at the popular Tombia-Etegwe roundabout on November 24, 2020, at about 1945 hours, when the patrol team was stuck in gridlock and one of the police officers in a bid to clear the gridlock accidentally fired a shot, the bullet ricocheted and injured three women.
“Commissioner of Police, Mike Okoli, condemned the shooting and called for calm from the citizens and has also visited the victims and assured them that the case will be thoroughly investigated and all indicted persons brought to justice,” he said.
