Six Policemen On Election Duty In Bayelsa Die After Boat Mishap
Six police officers lost their lives on Friday after a speedboat conveying them to polling centres in Bayelsa’s Southern Ijaw Local Government Area capsised.
The Local Government Area is in Bayelsa Central senatorial District.
Asinim Butswat, Spokesperson for the state police command,, confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday.
The officers had gone missing after the mishap but their bodies were recovered on Sunday and deposited at a morgue within the state.
They were travelling from Yenagoa with five of their colleagues, who survived the incident.
Butswat said the recovery was done by officers of the command’s Marine Department who worked with local divers.
While expressing the command’s condolences to the deceased’s families, he assured that police had started investigating to find out what caused the boat to capsise.
“They are brave, dedicated and disciplined officers of the Nigeria Police Force that have paid the ultimate price while on a national assignment,” said Mike Okoli, the state Commissioner of Police.
The polls were part of bye-elections held in various states to fill vacant federal legislative seats.
Others, also conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday, were held in Bayelsa West, Cross River North, Imo North, Lagos East, and Plateau South senatorial districts.
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