Police in Bayelsa state have confirmed the arrest of three policemen, four personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and one maintenance staff attached to the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Bayelsa State Government House, Mrs. Ebizi Ndiomu-Brown over alleged involvement in the theft of N 3.5 million from the office.
The alleged theft, which reportedly occurred on Wednesday night, was discovered on Thursday morning with the safe where the cash was kept reportedly vandalised and two entrances leading to the office burgled by the thieves.
State commissioner of police, Mr Uche Anozia ordered the arrest of the policemen on duty at the time of the theft.
Already, detectives from the department of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the State Police Command is investigating the incident.
A Government House source said that the theft of such a huge amount was shocking to the Deputy Chief of Staff and other officials of the State Government.
Attempts to get confirmation from the officials of the State Government proved abortive as they kept mum over the incident.
An official that spoke on the incident under anonymity, said that “only the policemen have been arrested because they were on duty at the time of the theft.”
Confirming the incident, SP Asinim Butswat, Police Public Relations Officer Bayelsa State Command, said: “On 5th December 2019, at about 0850 hours, the Command received a report of Burglary and Stealing in the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House, Yenagoa.
“It was reported that the main entrance door to the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff was broken and the Safe inside the office was destroyed.
“The crime scene was visited by policemen and it was further revealed that the sum of Three Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira was stolen.
“Three Policemen, four personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and one maintenance staff on guard duty at the Governor’s office were arrested and are being interrogated at the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, Yenagoa. An investigation is ongoing.” (Vanguard)
