Madang town was in chaos as early as 7am due to the killing of a Police CID officer at N7 in Transgogol.
Relatives and disgruntled citizens gathered to march up to N7 which resulted in numerous riots and clashes in town. This resulted in properties being damaged, stores looted, residential areas broken into and vehicles stoned.
Police investigations have commenced and suspects are voluntarily giving themselves up according to Provincial Police Commander Superintendent David Seine Jnr. As yet police are unable to release any information regarding the brutal killing of the CID officer.
However, it is alleged that the deceased had gone to N7 with some family members to buy bags of betel nut. During the course of this, it was said that some drunkard youths had caused a scene which prompted the officer (deceased) who tried to mediate. In the event, the situation turned sour and he dispersed the crowd by releasing three gunshots.
Everyone fled including himself, however, the youths had targeted him and followed chopping his legs off when he stopped to take a breath. It was killed at that instant.
It was hours after until police officers in Madang town were notified and mobilized to retrieve his body at the location, resulting in the area being lit up and destroyed.
PPC Seine Jnr is now calling on all citizens to be responsible and let the rule of law prevail and not to take the law into their own hands. He urged all to stay indoors and as any other murders that occur, police have to establish groundwork and hold those responsible behind bars.
The PPC further added that he does not want to see regionalism in the ongoing tension between Madang people and Highlanders.
The Provincial Administrator Frank Lau also called out to the people to stop blaming the government and start taking ownership of their own situations. He stated that the government has the burden of looking into infrastructural developments within the province and law and order issues lie within individuals, the community and within each electorate.
The provincial administration has also pledged to provide K10,000 worth of fuel for police operations.
In light of this incident, the Provincial Executive Committee will hold an emergency meeting to discuss on the budget maintenance to capture these as well.
For now, police reinforcement is underway from Lae, Morobe Province after a meeting with senior government officials.
Police have now cleared up the roadblock set up by villagers along the North Coast highway from the Gogol bridge to N7.
Roadblocks have been set up by the police to contain crowds at 4 Mile for the North Coast area, Sagalau for the South Coast and at Handymart for the town area.
It was also noted that this event has culminated in line with other underlying issues of fights and deaths in the previous weeks.