Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has directed the Commissioner for Health to take over the medical bills and treatment of the victims of shooting by police personnel in the Etegwe/Edepie axis of the state capital, Yenagoa.
This was disclosed by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Biriyai Dambo, while briefing the media on the outcome of the third state security council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa.
Recall that some policemen in a patrol van reportedly inflicted injuries on four female traders when they fired shots to clear traffic in the area, which has a market.
The victims were taken to the hospital where they are recuperating.
The governor at the meeting also constituted a seven-member Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, said this was in line with Federal Government’s directive to pardon convicts and decongest the prisons nationwide.
The committee would be chaired by the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Biriyai Dambo, with other members to be named later.
The governor commended members of the security council for their proactiveness in averting chaos in the state during the #ENDSARS protests, which turned violent in some other states.
He said the synergy and good working relationship of heads of the security agencies and other arms of government as well as the peaceful disposition of the youths were responsible for the violence-free #ENDSARS protest in the state.
“Let me use the opportunity to announce the constitution of the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy. The body will be chaired by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice. The names of other members, statutory and otherwise, will be announced later”, he said.
“Let me also thank God, on behalf of the Bayelsa State Security Council, for keeping our state in peace till today. Our Holy Book tells us that the watchman watches in vain if the Lord does not watch over the city”, the Governor added.
“Clearly in Bayelsa, God Almighty is helping all the security chiefs and the government. That can only be the explanation that even during the #EndSARS protest, Bayelsa was guided by God’s hands.Let me equally thank the youths for their understanding and for jealously guarding the few infrastructure in our state either built by the state government, the federal government or private individuals”.