Man dragged out of PMV and slashed

National, Normal
Source:

By JAMES APA GUMUNO

AN employee of Porgera Joint Venture, who was returning back from his field break to Porgera gold mine in the Enga province, was axed to death last Saturday at Muritaka in the Laiagam district.
Assistant Police Commissioner and Highlands divisional commander Simon Kauba identified the deceased as Elai Siki, 34, from Suyan village near the Porgera station.
Mr Kauba said Siki, who worked as a security guard at the mine, was returning from his field break after spending a few days with a friend in Wapenanmanda district.
He said the deceased was travelling in a PMV last Saturday to Porgera when the bus came to a stop at a roadblock set up by the villagers at Muritaka.
He said for some reason, by-standers saw the deceased inside the bus and dragged him out and axed him to death.
Mr Kauba said the barbaric killing shocked the other passengers.
Some passengers even said prayers thinking that they were also going to be dragged out one by one and killed in the same manner.
The passengers had in the back of their mind last month’s killing of five people at a roadblock at Liop village by villagers, also in the Laiagam district.
They were allowed through after Siki was killed.
Mr Kauba said 10 suspects allegedly involved in the killing were known to Wabag and Porgera police.
The motive for the roadblock and the killing unknown.
He condemned the killing and appealed to the people in the Laiagam district not to set up illegal roadblocks on the highway and kill innocent travellers.