Officers to investigate West Sepik killing

POLICE plan to send nine officers to Nuku this week to investigate the killing of three passengers in a vehicle which was attacked by a 16 armed thugs in West Sepik on Monday.
The incident happened near Wamarau along the Sepik Highway at around 3pm when the passengers including a pastor and three teachers were held up and attacked. The incident shocked police in West Sepik and East Sepik are now calling for more police posts along the highway.
West Sepik police commander Chief Inspector Moses Ibsagi told The National that the 16 thugs were known and would be hunted down.
“I am organising transport for reinforcements to get to Nuku to assist police there,” he said.
“The nine officers will be joined by two investigators from Vanimo.”
Ibsagi said the thugs were armed with guns and knives.
The passengers were travelling from Nuku to Maprik in East Sepik for shopping and to sell vanilla. “The passengers which included a Catholic priest and three teachers were on their way from Nuku in West Sepik to Maprik in East Sepik when the 16 men held up the crew and passengers of the vehicle from Yangoru.’’
He was told by the Nuku police station commander that the passengers lost all their possessions.