Okenyi Kenechi
Unknown gunmen on Wednesday night raided the operational base of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State, killing one of the officers and damaging properties at the base.
Sources said the attack on the base was as a result of the illegal arrests and extortion by SARS operatives from the base.
The sources said the SARS operatives had opened fire on some indigenes who were fortified with charms on the eve of independence day.
One of the sources who did not want his name made public said that it’s been three weeks since the SARS unit was brought in Oyigbo by the LGA chairman, Gerald Offorji.
According to him, it is believed that he brought them to extort the youths and pay him dividends from the extortion.
“Before they came in, this town has been relatively peaceful, calm and quiet, good for business and all.
“In these three weeks of SARS been in Oyigbo, there have been extortion of young boys, even kids not up to 12.
“Now what prompted this recent incident was because they accosted some young men last night after picking up like 20 others in their vans.
“The young boys refused to follow them. They opened fire on these boys but unfortunately, they had charms. The youths came through to attack them and say NO to the LGA chairman allowing SARS in the LGA”
SP Nnamdi Omoni, the spokesman of the Rivers State Police Command who confirmed the report, dismissed reports linking the attack to a protest carried out by members of the IPOB or any other group in the area.
He added that the command is investigating the attack.
