Police: Six officers on election duty drowned in Bayelsa

The Bayelsa state police command has confirmed the death of six of its officers on election duty.

A speedboat conveying some of the policemen deployed for the poll in Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa central senatorial district was said to have capsized and resulted in the drowning of the six officers.

Asinim Butswat, spokesman the state police command, told TheCable on Saturday that the force was yet to ascertain the number of officials onboard the boat and if there were any casualties.

Giving update on the situation on Sunday, Mike Okoli, the state commissioner of police, told journalists at the command headquarters in Yenagoa, the state capital, that 11 officials were being ferried on the capsized boat.

Okoli said while five of them were rescued, the other six are still missing.

“The command is still searching for the body of the missing six policemen. They were travelling from Yenagoa to Southern Ijaw for election duty before the boat capsized at Oporoma (headquarters of the LGA),” Okoli said.

“They are brave, dedicated and disciplined officers of the Nigeria Police Force that have paid the ultimate price while on a national assignment.”