The Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta has arrested a man suspected to be involved in the killing of 11 policemen in Bayelsa in April.
Col. Farouk Yahaya, who represented JTF Commander, Gen. Bata Debiro, said the suspect was a 25-year-old man.
Yahaya said the arrest of the suspect was the result of “high intelligence work’’ of security agencies in the state.
He told newsmen in Yenagoa on Friday that the suspect was “the mastermind of the dastardly act of April 5, 2013 when 11 policemen were killed in Azuzuama.
“He was arrested on June 6, 2013 around Ikibiri, near Azuzuama community in Southern Ijaw LGA through high intelligence gathering by the JTF and other security agencies.
“Our operation led to the arrest of some suspects, destruction of criminal hideouts and recovery of some arms and ammunition in the creeks.’’
He said the suspect would be handed over to the police for necessary investigation and prosecution, adding that the military was still on the trail of fleeing members of the gang.
The suspect told newsmen that he participated in the killing of the policemen but by accident.
“`I am a surveillance contractor in the creek. The leader of the gang is Gen. Virus. He is hiding in Port Harcourt.
“I only participated by accident because I was with them and there was nothing I could do to stop the boys.
“Virus said the policemen should be killed because he is angry with Gen. Young Shall Grow,” the suspect said.
Young Shall Grow, whose real name is Kile Torugbedi, was a militant leader in the state.
He was one of the first set of militant commanders to embrace the Amnesty Programme of the Federal Government.
But Virus, one of his loyalists during the militancy era, complained that he had been neglected.
This led to the killing of the policemen who were on escort duty to Torugbedi’s community for the burial of his mother.
