Police Recovers 11 Corpses Of Slain Policemen In Bayelsa

The combined team of the soldiers and the operatives of the Nigerian Police Force on Tuesday recovered 11 out of the 12 burnt and decomposed bodies of the slain policemen along the creeks and waterways of the Azuzama communities of the Southern Ijaw Local Government areas of Bayelsa state.

Some of the recovered bodies were reportedly burnt beyond recognition and mutilated by their killers. They were also reportedly stripped of their uniforms and rifles stolen in the attack.

The news of the recovery of the decomposed bodies of the policemen attracted wailing family members and sympathizers to the Federal Medical Centre waterside.

Team of armed policemen were also deployed to provide security to the team of pathologists and ambulances stationed to convey the bodies to the morgue.

12 policemen were killed on Sunday after suspected militants ambushed their boat in a creek at Zuzama. Three other officers  including a police sergeant escaped death by swimming away to safety.

The Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), on Monday claimed responsibility for the weekend attack at Azuzama, an attack which resulted in the killing of the 12 policemen.

MEND claims responsibility for felling the 12 policemen in the Niger Delta

Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta on Sunday claimed that its fighters killed the 12 policemen whose boat was ambushed in Azuzama, Southern Ijaw, Bayelsa State, on Saturday and that the deaths were to teach the security forces a lesson for scorning its warning.

The militant group had last week announced that it would resume attacks in the oil rich Niger Delta by Friday to avenge alleged collaboration between the Federal Government and South Africa to jail its former leader, Henry Okah. Security agencies had dismissed the threat and said they were ready for MEND which tagged its promised resurgence of attacks, ‘Hurricane Exodus.’

It said it intercepted and engaged government forces in a fierce gun battle and killed the security agents in the process.

MEND, in an online statement on Sunday, also disclosed that two of its fighters died in the exchange of fire with security agents. The crossfire lasted for 40 minutes.

I just like the fact that everybody knows "amnesty programme" was hugely unsuccessful and there is no use towing that line again.