The guns have boomed once again in Rivers State, this time taking the lives of two police officers and another individual.
Confirming the killings, the Rivers State Police Command issued a statement saying the deceased policemen were killed by suspected armed robbers at Rumuosi link road, Ozuoba in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The men who were said to have been conducting a stop and search exercise along that route at about 10:00 pm on Tuesday, were reportedly attacked by the armed men who engaged the Policemen in a shoot-out that led to the deaths; one of the gunmen was also killed in the incident.
As usual the Police through the Public Relations Officer, DSP Nnamdi Omoni said that investigations are on to apprehend the suspects as the Police already had clues to help solve the case quickly.
Rivers state has been known for violence in the South-south, often having issues of public unrest between cultists or thugs belonging to various political factions within the state. The in-fighting in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the battle for control of state power between it and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state also manifests in pockets of violence across the state.
It will be recalled that seven Policemen were also murdered under mysterious circumstance in Abuja, two weeks ago; the Policemen were found dead and their weapons stolen. The incident is yet to be solved by the Police who also promised to investigate as usual.
The has been a spike in violence across the country as the 2019 election season approaches and this has put many Nigerians on edge. The fact that security forces are being murdered at will across the country does not bode well for the upcoming elections which many pray does not degenerate into chaos.
Despite promises by the Police Hierarchy that it is capable of securing the lives and property of Nigerians as well as keep the peace during the general elections next year, many Nigerians do not believe the Police and have lost confidence in the system completely.