Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested Shehu Yola, 42 years and Sunday Emmanuel, aged 28, with truckload of mattresses suspected to be stolen “COVID-19 palliatives”, in Yenagoa, the state capital.

Police source disclosed that the arrests of the suspects followed a tip off, which prompted operatives of Bayelsa State Police Command to swing into action.

The State Police Spokesman, Asinim SP Butswat, confirmed the arrests of the suspects in a statement, saying “Following a tip off, Operatives of Bayelsa State Police Command have arrested one Shehu Yola ‘m’ 42 years and one Sunday Emmanuel ‘m’ 28 years, at Okaka, Yenagoa.”

He added that “The suspects were arrested on 18 February 2021, at about 2100hours, with a truckload of mattresses suspected to be stolen property.

“The suspects were arrested on 18 February 2021, at about 2100hours, with a truckload of mattresses suspected to be stolen property.

“The Commissioner of Police CP Mike Okoli, fsi, has ordered for discreet investigation to unravel the source of the mattresses.”

Reacting to the arrest, the Chairman of Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), Bayelsa State branch Chief Nengi James, while commending the state police command for the prompt arrest of the suspects, however, called for culprits to be paraded and thorough investigation to unravel the culprits and sponsors.

He said “I want to thank the police and I want to say that this issue should be properly investigated and all those need to be paraded. We want to see all those that are involved because this is a high level organised crime, so we want to know who are the enemies of Bayelsa State that are now taking our palliatives to other region which is very unfair.

“This act is condemnable, and CLO is very interested in the case and that is why we made the information public by informing the public before the police reaction. I am calling on IGP to make sure that this matter is not swept under the carpet.”