Tina Amanda
A suspected member of a robbery syndicate, Kelechi, who reportedly uses his minibus, popularly known as “Keke Bus,” to arrange robberies of his passengers, was apprehended by a mob at Artillery Junction along Aba Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Sunday, January 26, 2025.
The incident occurred around 11 PM when two female victims, who had earlier been robbed by the suspect and his gang, identified him while he was attempting to buy fuel at a filling station in the area.
One of the victims, Gloria Ephraim, recounted the ordeal to Correspondent:
“We boarded the minibus at Oyigbo Express, heading to Market Junction for a friend’s birthday. The driver initially asked for ₦700 as the fare, but we negotiated and agreed on ₦500.
“After we got in, he stopped to refuel at an isolated area near Oil Mill Flyover. Suddenly, four men armed with knives approached the bus and began attacking us. One passenger managed to escape by jumping out of the bus.
“They demanded our phones. My friend, who was closer to the door, was beaten with a knife, and I was also slightly injured. One of the attackers threatened to kill us if we didn’t comply. I tried to throw my phone out the window, but one of them saw me and took it.
“After the robbery, as we were fleeing, we overheard the driver calling one of the gang members by name, telling him to ‘keep his share.’ That’s when I realized the driver was working with them.”
The victims were later assisted by a motorcyclist who dropped them off at Artillery Junction.
Kelvin Nwachukwu, a Youth activist who helped apprehend the suspect, explained how the mob mobilized:
“I was at Artillery Junction when the girls were narrating their ordeal to people. Coincidentally, the suspect drove into a nearby filling station to refuel. The girls immediately identified him, and I mobilized others to confront him.
“Upon searching the bus, we found some of the victims’ belongings. We escorted him and the victims to Mini-Okoro Police Station, where we made an official report. His minibus is currently at the station, and the suspect, identified as Kelechi from Anambra State, is in police custody.”
The Rivers State Police Command has yet to release an official statement on the incident. Investigations are expected to unravel the full extent of the suspect’s involvement with the robbery syndicate and possibly lead to the arrest of other gang members
