Bayelsa by-election: Drowned policemen didn’t have life jackets

They left their stations and families in Rivers State to support their colleagues beef up security during the December 5, 2020 by-elections in Bayelsa Central and West senatorial districts, not knowing that they would not return. They paid the supreme price for their fatherland. Six police officers lost their lives as the boat conveying them […]

They left their stations and families in Rivers State to support their colleagues beef up security during the December 5, 2020 by-elections in Bayelsa Central and West senatorial districts, not knowing that they would not return. They paid the supreme price for their fatherland.

Six police officers lost their lives as the boat conveying them to Okporoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State capsized on the eve of the elections.

Five thousand policemen were deployed for the by-elections, according to Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police Mike Okoli.

Before filing this report, the Bayelsa State command of the Nigeria Police Force refused to disclose the identities of the deceased policemen, saying they had to consult their families first. It was, however, gathered that the cause of the boat mishap could have been averted if necessary precautionary measures of marine transportation were adhered to.

Daily Trust Saturday gathered that aside the fact that the affected police officers were not properly kitted with life jackets that could have helped them swim in case of a mishap, they also made the journey to Southern Ijaw in the late hours of the day when the sky was becoming dark.

Some locals in Okporoma, the headquarters of Southern Ijaw Local Government, told Daily Trust Saturday that it was not advisable to embark on such a journey when everywhere was dark. They added that the boat hit a log of tree in the river and capsized as the policemen approached their destination.

He also said the affected policemen could not swim to safety because they were not familiar with the terrain.

He further said it took the efforts of local divers to rescue five persons among the 11 that were in the ill-fated boat.

Pere Henry, a boat helmsman who plies Okporoma routes, said that as he ferried passengers to Yenagoa that fateful day, he saw about eight boats on a convoy. He added that the wave was so high that his boat shook in the middle of the river. According to him, the velocity of the wave, which was as a result of the recent flood in the state, could be the cause of the accident.

“Police authorities should always give duties of ferrying their people on assignment to experienced personnel from their marine department. If they lack such people, they should hire experts.

We learnt that the drowned officers were not even serving in Bayelsa State; as such, they may not be conversant with the waterways and creeks. I think the police would have sent officers already serving in Bayelsa State to those riverine areas and posted visiting ones to those local governments that can easily be accessed by land.

When I passed the convoy in the river, most of them were not wearing life jackets. And I believe the boats carried more than their capacities. If that is true, why would the boat not capsize? We should always observe safety precautions while travelling on the sea,’’ he said.

When contacted for the identities of the deceased policemen, the spokesman of the Bayelsa State command, SP Asinim Butswat, said such information would be made public after contacting their family members. He added that they served in Rivers State.

He said the bodies of the deceased policemen were recovered through the help of the marine department of the Bayelsa State police command and local divers.

“The Bayelsa State police command regrets to announce the recovery of the bodies of policemen who went missing after a boat mishap.

The unfortunate incident occurred on Friday, December 4, 2020 when one of the speedboats conveying 11 policemen from Yenagoa to Southern Ijaw capsized at Oporoma. Five of the policemen were rescued immediately, while six were missing.

A combined team of rescue officers from the marine department of the Bayelsa State police command and local divers have recovered the six bodies of the missing policemen, and they are deposited at the mortuary.

The command condoles with the families of the deceased. Investigation has commenced to ascertain the cause of the boat mishap,’’ Butswat stated.

Also, the Bayelsa State branch of the Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO) has called on Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu to investigate the circumstances that led to the incident.

The rights group also observed that the deceased cops violated marine regulations as they were not properly kitted with necessary protective kits for marine transportation, which would have helped them in the event of mishap.

The chairman of the Bayelsa State branch of the organisation, Chief Nengi James, said investigation into the incident was necessary as it could have been averted if adequate safety measures were put in place

He said, “As a civil society group, we are deeply saddened with the turnout of events that led to the ill-fated boat mishap that claimed the lives of six policemen in Bayelsa State during the just concluded senatorial by-elections.

Why we call for adequate compensation for the families of the deceased policemen by the state government and the police authorities, we want to also call on the IGP to investigate the circumstances that led to that ugly incident to forestall future occurrence.

Information at our disposal has it that standard marine rules and regulations were not adhered to in the course of conveying the policemen to their respective places of assignment. For instance, the policemen were not fully kitted with life jackets that would have helped to prevent death or reduce casualties. That the policemen were conveyed in the night is also a clear violation of marine regulations.’’

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has already condoled with the families of the deceased policemen and Inspector General of Police Muhammad Adamu over the incident, describing it as very painful.

Daily Trust Saturday could not reach the surviving police officers on the ill-fated boat as police authorities in Bayelsa State refused to disclose their identities.