Lae metropolitan superintendent Anthony Wagambie Jnr

The four main suspects are wanted for the torching of the community hall that houses the police post at West Taraka.

Superintendent Operations Fred Kaiwa and his men were at the location yesterday, giving community elders until this morning to bring out the main suspects.

Chief Inspector Kaiwa said the suspects are known to police and their names had been handed over to community leaders to bring them in by this morning.

A security firm had initially alerted them of an attack on a service station there.

“The criminals were exchanging gun fire and stoning the guards,” Lae metropolitan superintendent Anthony Wagambie Jnr said in a statement.  

“Police on foot went to the location and were confronted by the gang, who engaged them in a shootout.

“Police shot three suspects. Two are in critical condition while one is confirmed dead and in the morgue,” said Wagambie Jnr.

Commissioner Gari Baki said Anthony Wagambie Junior acted very responsibly and professionally throughout the student unrest and should in fact, be commended and not ridiculed.

The Commissioner said the removal of Chief Superintendent Wagambie Junior is insensitive, irresponsible and uncalled for. 

Commissioner Baki said this in response to a call by Works and Implementation Minister Francis Awesa, who said police hierarchy failed to address the issue at the University of Technology (Unitech) campus.

Students have been directed by the administration to vacate the campus due to the incident during the weekend where buildings were burnt down and a student killed.

According to Lae metropolitan superintendent Anthony Wagambie Jnr, the police have met with the relatives of the deceased, who came down from Mendi. They have assured them of thorough investigations into the brutal killing of the first year student.