AN operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) attached to the Bayelsa State Command died in a gun battle with armed robbers who laid siege for the NSCDC officials.
It was learnt that the incident took place along Kolo Creek in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state on Wednesday.
A gang of suspected armed robbers operating in the area was said to have laid an ambush for a patrol van of the NSCDC operatives.
The armed robbers, it was further learnt, reportedly laid ambush for the civil defenders after allegedly attacking a police checkpoint first along the road.
The robbers were said to have allegedly caught the policemen off guard and disarmed them about 12:24a.m on Wednesday.
A security source, who did not want to be quoted, claimed that the suspected robbers succeeded in forcing them to surrender their weapons.
The source said the robbers made away with about three AK-47 rifles and several rounds of ammunition belonging to the police.
He said: “When they escaped from the scene, they sighted a security patrol van manned by operatives of the NSCDC and hid in the bush. When the van approached, they opened fire on it, killing one of the officers.
“However, when the NSCDC officials came under fire, they responded, killing one of the armed robbers, while others escaped,” the source said.
It was gathered that the body of the armed robber, with his pump-action rifle, was recovered by the operatives and brought to the NSCDC headquarters in Yenagoa.
They reportedly handed the body over to the state commandant, Mr Desmond Agu.
When contacted, Agu confirmed that armed robbers laid ambush for a patrol van of his men and killed one of them.
He, however, praised his officers for fighting back and overpowering the robbers, which resulted in the killing of one of the robbers.
Agu, however, said he was not aware of the attack on a police checkpoint, noting that he had handed over the recovered gun and the corpse of the robber to the state police command.
Efforts to speak with the spokesman for the Bayelsa Police Command, Mr Asinim Butswat, proved abortive as his mobile phone did not connect after several attempts.
and then