Villagers attack police

 By JAMES APA GUMUNO

AT least seven policemen were seriously injured and four police vehicles had their windscreens smashed in an attack at Tolu village, 

Jiwaka.

The villagers surrounded the policemen and attacked them after Minj police went to Tolu on Wednesday to retrieve a stolen vehicle.

Provincial police commander Supt Simon Nigi said two men received pellet wounds when policemen fired shots to disperse the villagers.

He said his men sustained injuries to their bodies from the stones and other objects the villagers threw at them during the commotion.

He added the villagers smashed the glasses of the police vehicles.

“My men managed to break through five roadblocks to recover the stolen 10-seater Toyota Landcruiser hidden about 1.5km away from the main road,” he said.

Nigi said the stolen vehicle was also smashed by the villagers during the attack at one of the roadblocks.

According to a brief report he received, a man from Tolu had taken a court order against a man from Minj, where the owner of the stolen vehicle came from. The court ordered him to pay K25,000 to the complainant.

He said that since the man failed to pay the complainant, his tribesmen took the vehicle away.

Nigi said that when a formal complaint was lodged, Minj police went to Tolu to recover the 

vehicle.

He said the cost of the damages to the police vehicles would run into thousands of kina.

The police commander said he was upset with the villagers who did not show respect for the policemen who were doing their 

job.

“They are doing their constitutional duties and they must be respected,” he said.

Nigi said proper investigation would be carried out and those responsible would be arrested and charged.

He added that no arrests had been made yet.