Two Suspected Assassins Die in Bayelsa Gun Battle

Two persons arrested by the police in connection with the assassination of Orlando and British, which caused panic in Azikoro Village in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, have died in a gun battle, the police have said.

The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kingsley Omire, who spoke to our correspondent in Yenagoa, said the suspected assassins identified as Gbafare Gold and Ayi Benjamin popularly called Obaino, died at the Igbogene area of Yenagoa.

Omire, who paraded 24 other suspects for various crimes on Thursday, said Benjamin and Gbafare confessed to killing Orlando and British.

Orlando and British who were providing intelligence to security agencies on the activities of cultists in the state, were brutally murdered on July 16.

The victims, who drove a Toyota Sports Utility Vehicle with number plate, GBJ 154 AA, were shot several times at close range by the bandits, who wore bulletproof vests.

But Omire said following investigations by the police, the suspected killers said they had an armoury somewhere in Yenagoa and promised to lead the police to the place.

He said gunmen suspected to be working for the suspects laid ambush at Igbogene when Gbafare and Benjamin were leading the police officers to the armoury which he said turned out to be a decoy.

“We didn’t know it was a plot to kill the police officers and escape,” he said, adding that the police operatives had a close shave with death.

He conducted our correspondent around the two patrol vehicles used by the police on the fateful day.

Our correspondent observed that parts of the vehicles were riddled with bullets.

On why the suspects could not escape during the gun battle, he said, “They were chained to the back of the vehicle so there was no way they would have been able to jump out.

“They were taken to the Federal Medical Centre, where they eventually died. What saved the policemen was that they did not use traditional patrol vehicle,” he said.

He appealed to members of the public to work with the police by providing information on criminals in the state.

He vowed to implement the law against cultists in the state, adding that no cultist no matter his status, would escape from the punishment prescribed by the law.

He said other suspects arrested for robbery and burglary would be prosecuted.