Armed gang overruns police station, steals ATM

A gang of heavily-armed men suspected to be militants on Saturday overran a police station and carted away several arms and ammunition in Amassoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

THISDAY also learnt that the hoodlums attempted a raid on a bank in the same area but failed.

They were however said to have escaped with the bank's Automated Teller Machine, which was believed to have a reasonable amount of cash in it.

Amassoma, a coastal town, like many Ijaw areas, is some 30 kilometres away from Yenagoa, the state Capital and is home to late Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, former governor of the state.

It was gathered that the gang of militants stormed the community which also hosts the state-owned Niger Delta University (NDU) through the waterways at about 1am on Friday and operated several hours before leaving.

Shortly after arriving on a speedboat, they were said to have moved straight to the police station located in the area and engaged the policemen in a gun duel, overpowering them in the process.

Though the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Butswat Asinim, was not willing to give details, explaining that he was yet to be fully briefed, THISDAY learnt that the armed gang later visited the same bank and destroyed some property belonging to it.