Panic gripped parts of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, on Tuesday morning after armed policemen stormed residential areas in a reprisal raid following the killing of a police officer the previous night.
Eyewitnesses said the operatives fired indiscriminately and broke into homes, forcing families to flee for safety. Journalist Priye Julius and retired police officer Forsbray Inegha described chaotic scenes in which house windows were smashed and residents feared further attacks.
In the Amarata neighbourhood — a densely populated flashpoint notorious for clashes between cult gangs and security operatives — the raid escalated tension. Witnesses alleged that two men, Osigwe Chibueze Valentine and Micheal Edward, were forcibly taken from their homes, while several others, including women, were arrested.
“A neighbour’s house opposite mine was broken into with gun butts, a POS stand vandalised, and many people picked up,” one resident recounted.
The state police command confirmed the killing of Sergeant Oboh Goodluck and said investigations were ongoing to track down his assailants. Community leaders have appealed for calm, warning that continued escalation could trigger a wider breakdown of law and order.
