Transcript
MICHAEL WELLY: Just before they reached Komo, they had a roadblock by one of these clans, and obviously they had a tip-off from some informants along the way that one of their enemies were in one of the trucks in the convoy. So with that they set up the roadblock and then when the convoy came in contact with the people at the roadblock, they asked if they could go through but they refused to allow the governor and the minister and their convoy to pass through to Komo. So the governor had to turn around, him and the minister in the same vehicle turned around to drive back and then when doing so, at his back, the warring faction set all the vehicles, even the police vehicles as well, and spotted their enemy, pulled him out and then obviously shot him point blank. He was an ex-councillor, related to the other clan that they were fighting against.
JOHNNY BLADES: And then there was a shootout?
MW: Yes, they shot him, and then, realising that they were outnumbered and outgunned, the police just had to retreat together with those others in the convoy. And in doing so, one other innocent guy, who happened to be in the convoy and was driving the vehicle, they shot him and he just drove off to the drain and obviously died. So there was two killed that day. In the process of retreat, our policemen exchanged fire with the clansmen, and one of our guys got shot on the shoulder and on the eyebrow. He's recovering now in the hospital.
JB: I'd heard that four people were killed in the total event...
MW: Negative, negative. That was another incident or tribal fight that had four killed in the two days that they were fighting. This is another totally different incident, not the one that got these guys ambushed, where they set up the roadblock and shot the enemy.
JB: Can I just confirm whether people from Ligame were involved in the blockade or the ambush?
MW: Yes, they were. People from Ligame were the ones responsible for the roadblock and even now they're still blocking road. I've talked to our leaders in Komo to try and negotiate with them to let the road open. Given that we have other innocent public travelling in and out from Komo now being victimised because of their own fighting and all that. I'm hoping that they do get the road clear today. If that (negotiation) fails obviously I'll have to police to go in and open up the road.
JB: There's a report though that the police mobile unit went up to Ligame the next day and destroyed a lot of houses and property, what about that?
MW: The mobile squad was asked to go in there to search for the suspects. Obviously they went and everybody hid them, so obviously one or two houses were put up in flames, yeah.
JB: Because they were hiding the perpetrators?
MW: Yes, the ones who were hiding the perpetrators, and those ones believed to be houses that were housing the perpetrators doing this illegal stuff, yeah.