Amos Okioma, Yenagoa
In line with the directives of the Acting Inspector General of Police, Abubakar Adamu, the Bayelsa state Police Command has officially launched the Operation Puff Adder which was introduced by the IGP across the states of the Federation.
Launching the opreration at the headquarters of the state police command in Yenagoa, the Commissioner of Police, John Anozia said the IGP introduced the operation to tackle banditry, kidnapping, and other violent crimes across the country.
Anozia revealed that since the introduction of the operation, it has recorded tremendous achievements in Bayelsa state with the arrest of bandits and recovery of arms and ammunition in the past few weeks, adding that the operation was made up of a special squad comprising of 170 gallant officers and men.
He said through intelligence-driven raids on criminal hideouts, the operation arrested twenty-five suspects for various offenses including armed robbery, kidnapping and cultism.
The CP said OPA also recovered seven locally made revolver pistols, twenty-eight locally made single barreled pistols, four locally made double barreled guns, two AK 47 fabricated rifles and one baretta pistol.
Other recovered items, he said, include: twenty-three 9mm live ammunition, fifty live AAA cartridges and forty-eight 7.62mm live ammunition.
Anozia thanked the civil liberties organization, traditional and community leaders for their collaboration with the police in fighting crimes in the state.
Chairman of the civil liberties organization, Alabo Nengi James promised more collaboration and advised the police attached to the operation puff adder to be professional in their operations.