Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Joseph Tondop, has called on Ambulin Tribe leaders to immediately bring those who responsible for the murder of a young man from Wapukin tribe on Saturday to Wabag police station.
Tondop who is also the Porgera state of emergency controller explained what happened on Saturday 26th October, between 4 and 5pm, a young man from the Wapukin tribe was a passenger on a PMV bus heading into Wapenamanda from Birip. The bus was stopped by Ambulin men who dragged the passenger out of the bus into the bushes some distance away and hacked him to death in a gruesome and animalistic manner. His body was then left in the bushes.
“I see this as the deliberate acts of criminals, not anyone who wants to restore peace using the law and tribal customs, but criminals who want to act beyond, above and outside the law. These are criminals who have demonstrated that they cannot respect their leaders, customs and tribes. They do not care for the many months of misery and suffering that the prolonged tribal war in Wapenamanda put their families, relatives, women and children through. Or the hardships their acts have added to the already painful lives of extended family and relatives outside their little villages.
I am shocked, saddened and as an Engan, very disgusted by this lack of care attitude by my own Engan brothers.” He said.
With that Tondop demanded that, all leaders of the Ambulin Tribe who are signatories to the Wapenamanda Peace Accord are to front up to the Wabag police station yesterday morning.
All leaders of the Ambulin Tribe must take immediate steps to apprehend and bring together those responsible for this murder to Wabag police station.
He said there would be no further negotiations between them, any police or state security officer or any other state entity (including provincial authorities) on this matter.
“Failure to adhere to my demands will immediately result in evoking of the Emergency Powers granted to me under the terms of the State of Emergency which I will fully and vigorously action to ensure that there are no more criminal actions of this or any other type, nature or form.” he said.
Meanwhile Tondop had made the following decisions that:
- Wapenamanda district is also covered under the current State of Emergency.
- State security forces have been concentrating on Porgera because Wapenamanda district had peace following the signing of the Peace Accord.
- This act of barbarity will be addressed strictly within the terms and conditions of the Wapenamanda Peace Accord.
