The Boko Haram insurgents, who attacked the Police Academy, Gwoza, Borno State, on Wednesday, seized not less than 200 assault rifles from the riot policemen on training.
Investigations revealed that about 159 of the guns were seized from men of the three mobile police units from Mopol 50, Abuja; Mopol 38 and Mopol 58 based in Akwanga and Lafia respectively in Nasarawa State.
Continue..It was gathered that the men of the Force Mobile Police had been grumbling about the circumstances that led to the routing of the police and the seizure of such a large cache of arms and ammunition at the training. It was learnt that the authorities resumed the suspended training with the batch of 159 personnel from the Police Mobile Force only for them to be attacked a week into the exercise on Wednesday.
It was further learnt that 53 policemen were drafted from each of the three mobile police formations, thereby bringing the total number to 159 aside from those on the ground. Investigations further revealed the insurgents did not encounter any strong resistance from the police personnel as the riot policemen were directed to keep all their guns at the armoury of the academy before Boko Haram attacked the academy and captured the armoury.
It was gathered that the policemen were left with no better option than to flee as they were cut off from the armoury where their guns were all kept. A source said the arms and ammunition, which the mobile policemen submitted at the armoury included AK 47 assault rifles. Investigations further revealed that a Unit Commander, an Assistant Superintendent of Police of South South extraction (name withheld) who was part of the Mopol 58 tea from Lafia was among those missing. It was further learnt that the police were still looking for a whole unit of mobile police, comprising 53 men.
The source said, “A total of 159 personnel were taken to the training academy for this exercise which had been put on hold for a long time. “Surprisingly, they were attacked on Wednesday about a week after their resumption for the training in Gwoza. “The policemen were taken from Mopol 50, Abuja, Mopol 38, Akwanga and Mopol 58, Lafia, Nasarawa State. “On that Wednesday, when they were attacked, the training was going on and they were directed to keep all their guns at the armoury.
“It was during this period that the insurgents came from different directions, cut the men off from the armoury. “Under that circumstance, what do you expect the boys to do? They had to flee the academy for dear life. “As at today, we have not seen one of our units; also the Commander of one of the units is still missing. He is an Assistant Superintendent of Police.” One of our correspondents gathered that the insurgents were still in firm control of the Police Academy on Sunday.
No comments:
Post a Comment