Three men walked into Mt Hagen police station last Friday and surrendered hand grenades which were in their possession. The trio, from Mul-Baiyer’s Dei and Hagen Central in Western Highlands, told police that they could not continue taking the risk to keep the explosives which could accidentally cause mass destruction and deaths.
They surrendered the grenades following a public appeal by provincial police commander Supt Kaiglo Ambane and Highlands divisional commander assistant commissioner of police Simon Kauba after the death of policewoman Selly Mol, who was killed in a hand grenade explosion inside a police vehicle in Mt Hagen while trying to arrest a murder suspect in February.
Many so-called leaders in the province went to the media denying that they kept such explosive devices in their homes and accused the police of trying to claim compensation from a wanted man from the Yamka tribe.“According to police intelligence reports, 24 hand grenades were smuggled into the province some time ago. “One of the grenades was used by the man who blew himself and Mol. Another 20 hand grenades were still unaccounted,” Ambane said, urging those in possession of the explosives to voluntarily surrender them to police.
Ambane said the built-up of illegal guns and bombs had already claimed many lives. “The tribal fight in Nebilyer claimed 72 lives, Baiyer 50, Gumanch 42, Mul 40 and, two weeks ago, journalist Sent Timbi was gunned down in his Puntipil village outside Mt Hagen.
0 comments:
Post a Comment