Operatives of Operation Puff Adder, a tactical squad of the Bayelsa State Police Command, have apprehended a 38-year-old man, Iliasu Mohammed, in connection with the 2022 shooting of a police inspector in Yenagoa.
The suspect was arrested over his alleged role in the attack on Inspector Ekperi Edwin Osuo, who was shot on August 21, 2022, along Akenfa Street in the state capital.
The incident was previously described by the police as an attempted armed robbery and assassination.
Inspector Osuo sustained severe gunshot injuries to the stomach and was rushed for emergency medical treatment.
Sources disclosed that although he survived the attack after undergoing surgery, some pellets from the gunshot remain lodged in his body more than three years after the incident.
Police sources revealed that fresh developments in the investigation followed claims that a principal suspect earlier linked to the case had been released under controversial circumstances after being handed over to the Nigeria Police Force by military authorities.
A petition subsequently submitted to the Commissioner of Police, Daniel Iyamah, prompted a review of the case and its reassignment to the intelligence-led Operation Puff Adder unit under the leadership of CSP Chris Nwaogbo.
The arrested suspect is currently being held in custody and is expected to be charged before a State High Court, marking the first major prosecutorial action since the shooting occurred.
The police said the decision to intensify the investigation underscores the command’s resolve to ensure accountability, particularly in cases involving attacks on serving officers.
The Department of Public Prosecution has reportedly granted approval for the matter to proceed to court, while further investigations continue ahead of the suspect’s arraignment.