By Our Reporter
A tactical team of the Nigeria Police on Saturday stormed the hideout of some fleeing wounded gunmen in Oyigbo Local Government Area, Rivers State, killing four of them and a female nurse.
The slain gunmen were reportedly being treated by the nurse identified simply as Chichi in a hidden area of Oyigbo when the squad surrounded the building and opened fire on them.
It was gathered that sensing danger one of them on drip attempted to escape by scaling the fence unknown to him that the area had been surrounded by armed policemen, who shot him dead.
The policemen subsequently gained access to the building and killed three others receiving treatments and the nurse, who was caught up in the gunfire, was also hit by a bullet.
The victims were said to be among the gunmen, who recently murdered seven policemen in surprised and coordinated attacks on security formations along the East-West Road and Elimgbu Police Station.
A security source, who spoke in confidence, said the bandits were trying to get medical treatments for multiple bullet wounds inflicted on them by the police when luck ran out on them.
He said: “Remember that recently gunmen, who disguised as security operatives killed seven policemen when they attacked their formations along the East-West Road and the Elimgbu Police Station.
“During that attack, the police at Elimgbu engaged them in a gun battle. They sustained many injuries and even abandoned their Hilux van. Those who were wounded ran to their hideout at Irebe side in Oyigbo and hired one Uchechi, a nurse to treat them.
“The police tracked them to the hideout. Three of them were already on drip. Sensing danger, one of the gunmen scaled the fence but was gunned down by the squad.
“The policemen eventually gained access to the building and met three others on drip.
“The hoodlums made efforts to shoot at the police but the policemen gunned them and in the process the lady was hit by a bullet and she died.
“I can tell you that they are IPOB members. Five registration booklets of IPOB, many charms and some arms were recovered from them. You need to see their body, which was previously riddled by bullet.
Though the bullets may not kill them because of their charms, the effects and the injuries will still show,” he said.
Though all efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, Nnamdi Omoni and the Commissioner of Police, Emuebie Ebuka proved abortive, a senior police officer, who spoke in confidence, confirmed the report.
He said: “Five of the fleeing gunmen were traced to their location, where a nurse was treating them and they were all killed including the nurse. They are IPOB members not armed robbers.
“Items recovered from the scene including five IPOB registration booklets are still at the Oyigbo police station and they will soon be brought to our command headquarters in Port Harcourt.”
