Village arrests now difficult, says Yangen

SOUTHERN Highlands acting commander Chief Superintendent Daniel Yangen says police work in the province has been very challenging, especially going into villages to arrest suspects.
He said the current law was indirectly protecting criminals and police could not fully exercise their powers to get rid of them in society.
Yangen expressed sympathy for the two nurses and the driver of the Ialibu rural hospital ambulance who were forced out of their vehicle.
The vehicle was taken away and stripped by the Yambra villagers in Imbonggu.
“In the case of this ambulance, someone walked away with the rear view mirror, another with the seats, and another with engine parts,” he said.
“We are giving these criminals so much freedom.
“After committing crimes, they go into hiding in their villages and attempts to have them arrested always fail because we have so-called community leaders who always take sides to support them.”
Yangen said the police tried their best to move into the villages to make arrests but the villagers used their weapons to fight back.
He said the absence of the ambulance was putting people’s lives at risk and appealed to the suspects to surrender before the police forcefully move in to arrest them.