Operatives of Operation Puff Adder, a special tactical unit of the Bayelsa State Police Command, have arrested a 38-year-old man, Iliasu Mohammed, over his alleged involvement in the 2022 shooting of a police inspector in Yenagoa, the state capital.
The victim, Inspector Ekperi Edwin Osuo, was shot on August 21, 2022, by unidentified gunmen along his street in Akenfa, Yenagoa, in what police sources described as an alleged armed robbery and attempted assassination.
Inspector Osuo reportedly sustained life-threatening injuries and underwent emergency surgery. Sources said pellets from the gunshot are still lodged in his body more than three years after the incident.
The case recently took a new turn following allegations that a key suspect earlier linked to the crime was released under questionable circumstances after being handed over to the Nigeria Police Force by the military.
Security sources disclosed that a fresh petition was submitted to the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Daniel Iyamah, prompting the transfer of the case to the special tactical and intelligence-driven unit of the command headed by CSP Chris Nwaogbo.
A suspect connected to the incident is currently in police custody and is expected to be arraigned in court, marking the first concrete prosecutorial step since the shooting occurred.
Police sources described the development as part of renewed efforts by the Commissioner of Police to ensure a thorough, impartial, and intelligence-led investigation, given the sensitivity of the case and the status of the victim as a serving officer.
Senior security sources further revealed that the takeover of the case by Operation Puff Adder signals a renewed commitment by the Nigeria Police Force to address unresolved violent crimes, particularly those involving attacks on its personnel.
Police authorities confirmed that investigations are ongoing and assured the public that the matter would be diligently prosecuted.
Meanwhile, the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) of the State Ministry of Justice has approved the case for prosecution, and the police are awaiting the arraignment of the suspect at the State High Court.
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