.Seven bodies of killed police officers recovered in community

Miffed by non-implementation of anti-grazing law three years after, Delta State House of Assembly, yesterday, summoned a stakeholders’ meeting at the state’s Assembly Complex, Asaba, to stop herders from “still engaging” in open-grazing in the state.

The meeting was in line with the Assembly’s oversight functions, which the Assembly Committee on Legislative Compliance must look into to change the narrative.

The committee, headed by the Deputy Speaker, Arthur Akpowowo, which expressed concern that violators of the anti-open grazing law are working freely on the streets, vowed to stamp its feet harder in collaboration with the Executive in ensuring full-scale compliance.

The lawmakers, at the meeting, which was attended by security agencies in the state, as well as members of the Delta State Livestock Management Committee, said that what is more worrisome is the unwholesome killings, maiming and raping of innocent farmers and residents by herdsmen.

Akpowowo said that the sad narrative had continued unabated irrespective of the law banning open-grazing in the state.

He said that the state legislature would be irrevocably committed to ensuring that the open-grazing law and any other laws passed by the Assembly were implemented and obeyed to the latter in the state.

The deputy speaker said that the committee had asked the security agencies in the state to rise up to their task of arresting, apprehending, as well as prosecuting offenders of the law.

Meanwhile, a combined team of security personnel and local vigilantes have reportedly recovered seven decomposed bodies of policemen at a forest in Ohoror Community in Ughelli North Local Council of Delta State.

The Guardian gathered that the recovered bodies were those of the killed police officers drafted from IRT Abuja, PMF 51 Oghara and Anti-kidnapping Squad in Asaba, Delta State, who were to rescue three declared missing officers in the community.

It was also learnt that the police search team, assisted by the community vigilantes, stormed the forest on Sunday and Monday where they recovered the bodies after being killed by suspected herdsmen.

It would be recalled that on January, 24, 2024, three police officers invaded Ohoror community, Ughelli North, to respond to a distressed call by one Moses Progress now at large that was allegedly robbed by suspected herdsmen while performing sacrifice to the gods of the river under a bridge close to the nipping point.

The three officers, who were detailed to respond to the distressed call, never returned as they were reportedly killed along with others.

Police authorities confirmed that the operational huts of the suspected Fulani herdsmen were destroyed where the seven bodies were found and others yet to be recovered.

Meanwhile, when contacted, the Police Commissioner, Abaniwonda Olufemi, said he was yet to get official information about the incident and directed our correspondent to speak with the police image-maker, Bright Edafe, who did not pick calls as at press time.