THE Police in Delta State, yesterday, denied burning the homes or looting the property of villagers at the troubled Afiesere community in Ughelli North local government area, saying that the villagers set the affected mud houses and shanties ablaze by themselves because they want to cover up the murder of the Divisional Police Officer of the �B� Division, Agbara-Otor, Ughelli and an Inspector of Police, Allison Elias by their youths.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Olabisi Okuwobi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) who was reacting to our Thursday publication in which elders and women of Afiesere accused the police of looting their property said the villagers thought that by setting the houses ablaze, they would evoke the sympathy of the people and get compensation from government after committing the heinous crime.
She said it was ridiculous for the people to allege that it was the police that burnt down their homes, saying that if the police actually wanted to burn down the village, no building would have been left standing.
The police image maker challenged the people to produce the corpses of the three youths who they claimed were shot dead by the police, pointing out that it was only in this part of the country that people would be chasing shadow instead of showing remorse for the killing of law enforcement officers.
According to her, the police in the state have grown above the level of destroying the property of people because of the death of their men, adding that if really the police wanted to burn down things, the first place to start was the very drinking spot where the DPO and Inspector were shot dead.
She said that nothing happened to the drinking spot up till yesterday afternoon when she spoke to Vanguard and tasked the community on its claim that the people did not know about the killing of the DPO and Inspector.