2 GUNMEN INVADE POLICE STATION, THREATEN COPS, FIRE SHOT

PIGG’S PEAK – Where is the police intelligence?

This is the question some members of the public have been asking after reports that two armed men walked into the Pigg’s Peak Police Station and threatened the lives of officers who were on duty. Some residents are of the view that using police intelligence, the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) should be a step ahead of criminals. The armed robbers are alleged to have entered the police station at around 8pm on Sunday. They passed the service centre, which is normally manned by police officers. Though only two men entered the police station, it is believed that one or more were hiding outside.

Threatened

It is alleged that the two men threatened a female police officer whom they followed as she headed towards the communications room from the service centre also known as the charge office. Inside the communications room, they found a male police officer and aimed their firearms at him. Meanwhile, a traffic police officer who was on the other side of the service centre is said to have realised that there was a problem. The gunmen noted that there were more police officers than they had anticipated and decided to fall back in an attempt to hide in the corridor. It is in the corridor that one of the gunmen fired a shot which hit the wall. This is when they got a chance to flee. More police officers had also realised that there was an invasion inside the cop shop, leading to an exchange of gunfire.

When the gunmen were near Buy Cash Hardware, about 100 metres from the police station, they stopped a woman who was driving a Mazda 3 hatchback. They dragged the woman out of the vehicle, injuring her in the process and sped off in the direction of Matsamo from Pigg’s Peak. Along the way, just near a place known as Three Way, the driver lost control of the vehicle and it veered off the road and hit a tree. This is about 1.3 kilometres from the Pigg’s Peak Police Station. The men then abandoned the vehicle after the crash and decided to walk. It is believed that none of the gunmen were severely injured following the crash.

When fleeing, the men allegedly left a long-range R5 rifle inside the vehicle that had crashed. It had 35 live rounds of ammunition. At this time, police officers, including some who were off-duty had already been called to respond to the crime. Members of the Operational Support Services Unit (OSSU) were also called to assist. While the police were still searching for the gunmen, there were reports that more people were being attacked by the same men. The search of the gunmen is said to have continued throughout the night.

Residents, angered by the attack, also turned on a pupil whom they mistook for a robber. The pupil is said to have been found walking during the night when some residents mistook him for one of the criminals and assaulted him. The pupil is said to be in one of the high schools and it is believed he may have been returning from night-time study. Yesterday, the vehicle which the men had abandoned was still on the same spot. The woman, from whom it was taken, is said to have been rushed to the hospital and according to her husband, she was treated and discharged. Yesterday, police officers and soldiers, who also had sniffer dogs, were spotted combing through nearby forests in search of the men. However, they remain at large.

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