Suspected kidnappers on Wednesday stormed the Onuegbum community in Ogbia Local Government Area (LGA) of Bayelsa, killing two policemen and abducting two Lebanese nationals. The abductees were workers with the Pache Construction Company, to which the policemen were also attached.


The gunmen, who numbered eight and were heavily armed, arrived in the community in two speedboats through the waterway at about 12.20pm, witnesses said.  They said the gunmen invaded the sand-dredging site, shooting repeatedly into the air to scare people away. Locals and the workers scampered to safety.

The two policemen responded with gunshots, but were killed in a volley of shots from the armed invaders. Confirming the incident, police spokesman Astimin Butswat said the bodies of the slain policemen had been taken to the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre for an autopsy.

He identified the abducted Lebanese nationals Sarki Abi Chmouli and Ibrahim Abi Pherem. "We have alerted the marine component of the police, the Joint Task Force and the Navy," he said