The police in Bayelsa State have arrested a 38 year-old -man, Iliyasu Mohammed over his alleged involvement in the 2022 shooting of a police Inspector, Ekperi Edwin, in Yenagoa, the state capital.
It was gathered that the police inspector was shot on August 21, 2022, by unidentified gunmen along his street at Akenfa, Yenagoa, during what police sources described as an alleged armed robbery and assassination attempt.
The police inspector was reported to have sustained life-threatening injuries and underwent emergency surgery, with bullet pellets still reportedly lodged in his body three years after the incident.
The case however, took a new dimension following allegations that a key suspect linked to the crime was released under questionable circumstances after being handed over to the police by the military.
However, a suspect connected to the case is currently in police custody and is expected to be arraigned in court, marking the first concrete prosecution step since the incident occurred.
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Police sources described the move as part of efforts by the new commissioner of police to ensure a thorough, impartial, and intelligence-led investigation, given the sensitivity of the case and the status of the victim as a serving police officer.
Police authorities have confirmed that investigations are ongoing and assured that the matter will be investigated thoroughly.
Already, the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) of the state Ministry of Justice has approved the case for prosecution and the police is awaiting the arraignment of the suspect.
