Rivers rerun: DSP, orderly beheaded; five other policemen missing

A Deputy Superintendent of Police serving with Mobile Police Unit 48, Alkali Mohammed, was on Saturday beheaded by yet-to-be-apprehended armed men during the State and National Assemblies rerun in Rivers State.
Mohammed was beheaded alongside with this orderly by armed men who ambushed his team.
While three members of the team were rescued, five others are still missing
These were revealed by the General Officer Commanding of the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Kasimu Abdulkarim, in a statement.
Abdulkarim, who was advancing reasons for the deployment of soldiers for the election, said those accusing the military of partisanship were only doing so because they were prevented from carrying out more of their nefarious acts.
Abdulkarim said the soldiers deployed for the election performed their duties according to their rules of engagement.
He said in the statement that despite the presence of security operatives, the hoodlums still attempted disrupting the election, adding that the beheading of Mohammed and his orderly was the height of it.
He said in the statement, which is published elsewhere on this news website in full: “Several shooting were recorded in some communities such as Bodo, the home town of the Secretary to the State Government, B-dere and Mogho in Gokhana LGA, including snatching of ballot boxes. The most brutal incidence occurred at Ujju Community near Omoku in Onelga where police patrol team was ambushed. In the ambush, 10 policemen scampered into the bush.
“The Mobile Police organized a rescue mission. Regrettably, the team discovered that DSP Alkali Mohammed of Mobile Police Unit 48 was beheaded along with his orderly. The patrol vehicle was taken away with weapons, three policemen escaped while five were missing in action. This is the same area where soldiers of 34 Brigade were ambushed on 20 November 2016 where a soldier was killed. Also on 21 November 2016, four personnel of NSCDC were killed and their weapons carted away.
“These attacks are reasonable evidence of violations of breach of law and order which portray the area as a flash point. Despite these barbarism, soldiers acted with civility and professionally guaranteeing peaceful election.”