A marine police officer has been declared missing, while two others sustained varying degrees of injury following the attack on the operatives by armed hoodlums suspected to be sea pirates in Akwa Ibom coastal waters.
Confirming the incident, the Akwa Ibom State Police Command stated, “A daring attack on its Marine Police Patrol Team (MPPT) by suspected armed sea pirates along the Oron-Calabar Waterways.”
Spokesperson of the command, DSP Timfon John, recalled that the patrol team with fewer personnel were ambushed by 24armed Sea Pirates, explaining that the heavy gunfight that ensued resulted in the Police suffering some losses.
According to her, the commissioner of Police (CP), Baba Mohammed Azare, has swung into action and mobilised tactical operatives to work with other sister agencies, including the Nigerian Navy operatives, to comb everywhere for the fleeing suspects to apprehend and recover the missing officer.
“The patrol team, during a routine operation, came under heavy attack from the criminals, who were armed and dressed in military camouflage.
The assailants, numbering about 24 and operating in three speedboats, attempted to overpower our gallant officers in a gun duel.
“Despite their numerical advantage, our officers fought bravely but sustained losses. Regrettably, two officers, Inspector Sunday Usuyak and Inspector Edet Enenyi, sustained gunshot injuries and are receiving top-notch medical attention. One officer, Inspector Udi Emenyi, is currently unaccounted for.
“The Akwa Ibom Police Command has swung into immediate action, deploying a specialised search and rescue team to track and recover the missing officer. The Nigerian Navy and other security services have been duly informed and are collaborating with the police to conduct the operations.
“Let it be unequivocally stated that the Akwa Ibom Police Command will stop at nothing to ensure the perpetrators of this heinous act are apprehended and brought to justice. Our waterways will not be safe havens for criminals,” she stressed, soliciting intelligence from civil society members who could arrest criminal elements in their neighbourhoods.
