Lorine Emenike
Barely two weeks after assumption of office by the newly deployed Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, CP Usman Belel, the Command has recorded the arrest of over 80 suspected criminals and recovered over 57 firearms.
Parading the suspects at the state Command’s Head Quarters in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the police boss said 33 suspected criminals have been prosecuted.
Amongst the arrested armed robbers were a three-man gang who have been operating in fake military uniforms and robbing innocent persons of their belongings.
Also arrested were two armed robbers at Igwuruta in Ikwerre local government who were operating in army camouflage. The sum of two hundred and fifty thousand naira ( 250, 000 naira) was recovered from them. Also arrested were a six-man gang of robbers, who were arrested while robbing residents at eagle island.
The police also rescued two kidnapped victims, Ori Iminaemi (F) and Abubakar Surujedeen (M). The victims were rescued by a police patrol along the Emohua/Rumuji road. Acting on information, the patrol team stormed a kidnap den along Ogbakiri trans-Kalabari road, in a camp located at Mgbuitanwo forest were the kidnapped victims were kept and rescued them.
The CP said before the victims were duly rescued, the perpetrators of the kidnap opened fire on the police team but were overpowered by the men of the police, two of the kidnappers were fatally wounded with their victims unharmed.
Also arrested is Prince Koadilichi (M), a human trafficker, who kidnapped one Favour Sets, who was reported missing in October 2018 at Rumuolumeni.
The human trafficker, Prince with his gang, kidnapped Favour alongside other female victims and sold them into prostitution.
The victims were found in a hotel ( Emirate Noble Palace Hotel) in Anambra State. The victims confessed to men of the police that they were forced by their predators to swear with juju to keep the incident secret.
CP Belel said the total of arrested cultists were 36, kidnappers 17, 30 armed robbers and 5 traffic syndicates.
The CP also maintained that a total of 23 live ammunition and 17 cartridges were recovered by the police.
The police commissioner further reiterated his earlier stance to fight crime and described the feat as a welcomed development.
