"Let me sincerely welcome you to another round of Press Briefing being the second in the series for this month. I am delighted to have you in my Office today as I share with you some of the modest and breathtaking achievements the command has recorded under my watch. Like I told you last week, we are not resting on our oars and we shall continue to do more within our constitutional mandate to drastically reduce crime and criminality in the State.
It is my pleasure at this juncture to present to you a continuation of the Achievements of the Command.
To wit:
ARREST OF SUSPECTED ARMED ROBBERS :
On 15/10/2016 at about 1930 Hrs, Operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) through credible intelligence arrested 6 Armed Robbery suspects, who confessed to have snatched a Toyota Highlander jeep with Reg. No Lagos LND 836 AX from the owner, one Uche Uchiji of No. 6 Okorocha Street Mgbouba Port Harcourt at gun point.
The suspects further confessed to have carried out several robbery operations in the State.
They are:
Christian Godwin ‘m’ 29YRS
Famous Ben Ejimogu ‘m’
Chibueze Okpara ‘m’
ThankGod Bassey ‘m’
Francis Michael ‘m’
Izucukwu Nnachukwu ‘m’
The Snatched Car has been recovered and effort is on to recover their rifles. Investigation is ongoing at SARS Port Harcourt.
2On 18/10/2016 at about 2210 Hrs operatives of (SARS) on Patrol acting on information also arrested one Peter Sunday ‘m’ who confessed to have carried out series of robbery operations with his gang at Elele/Omerelu Road.
Exhibits recovered from him include:
Two Locally made Pistols
1.9mm Live Ammunition
3 Cartridges
One Mazda 626 Salon Car with Reg No. SKP 48 DX
He is helping the Police in the investigation and effort is on to arrest members of his gang.
3.On 21/10/2016 at about 0600Hrs operatives of SARS at Ogbogoro Port Harcourt arrested one George Doctor ‘m’ who confessed to have been involved in series of kidnapping and sea Privacy Cases, in Kalabari Water ways in the State.
He further confessed to have kidnapped one Madam Clementina Clement at Ogbokiri Junction where he received a ransom of N 1.5m. He is presently helping the Police and will be charged to court as soon as Investigation is concluded.
4.On 24/10/2016 at about 1700Hrs, acting on a tip-off, Operatives of SARS arrested Opubo Dike ‘m’ and Tamuolobo Gift ‘m’ 21yrs at Abba Street Diobu Port Harcourt. On arrest the following items were recovered.
They are:
One Locally Made Pistol
Large qualities of weeds suspected to be Indian Hemp
They are cooling their heels at the station and will be due in Court soonest.
5.On 29/10/2016 at about 1700Hrs Operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad in a joint operation with other Tactical Units raided a Criminal hide out at Rukpokwu axis and arrested the following hoodlums
They are:
1.Onyekachi Igwe ‘m’
2.ThankGod Eliozu ‘m’
3.Batunde Popoola ‘m’
4.Uzoma Prince ‘m’
5.Alloy Igwe ‘m’
The suspects on interrogation confessed to have been involved in series of car snatching in Port Harcourt and the neighboring states.
Exhibits recovered from them include:
An Ash colour Toyota Camry saloon Car with Reg No. BB 854 USL.
They are helping the Police in Investigation, as effort is in top gear to recover some of the snatched cars.
6.On 28/10/2016 at about 1700Hrs in a joint operation, the command’s Tactical Unit conducted a raid at a criminal hideout in Elelenwo axis in Port Harcourt and arrested the following persons:
Namely:
1.Abuchi Ikeagwu ‘m’ alias Anambra 33yrs
2.Ejike Amadiegwu ‘m’ 34yrs
3.Wisdom Victor kufre ‘m’ 31yrs
4.Obira Chinedu ‘m’ 23yrs
The suspects confessed to have left Owerri Imo State to Port Harcourt to collect ransom from one Chinedu Achinefu ‘m’ of No. 6 Omachi Street, Woji for the release of his brother one Chizoba Otika who was kidnapped and held hostage by members of their syndicate
After receiving a ransom of N1.6m via Sterling bank Account owned by one Okoli Chiamaka. Investigation is ongoing.
7.On 1/11/2016 Operatives of SARS in a follow-up of a transferred case from Okporo Division arrested the following Persons:
1.Kelechi Chukwudoru ‘m’
2.Chikadike Okeogbu ‘m’
3. Richman Onyebueyim ‘m’
The Suspects on interrogation confessed to have robbed one Yvonne Amafuny ‘f’ of her Honda Cross Tour Car with Reg No. EKY 675 BB on 28/7/2016 at about 1600Hrs. The said car has been recovered by the Police, while Investigation is ongoing.
8.On 5/11/2016 at about 1600Hrs Operatives of SARS acting on a credible intelligence went to Rumuodara and arrested one Thompson Akpan ‘m’ who confessed to have robbed one Egbenyor Ugochi ‘f’ of her Toyota Camry saloon Car on 30/10.16 along Stadium Road Port Harcourt . The said car with Reg No. DD 257 JJJ as been recovered while Investigation is ongoing and efforts on to recover other snatched cars and arrest members of his gang.
9.On 8/11/2016 at about 1000Hrs Operatives of SARS on Inquiry intercepted a gang of Armed Robbers in a Toyota Camry Saloon Car with Reg No. AR 727 BNY at Elele/Omerelu/Owerri Road, Suspects engaged Operatives in a gun battle and one of them was arrested while One Benson surname unknown was fatally wounded at the scene of attack. Suspect confessed that the vehicle was snatched on 8/11/2016 at about 0430 Hrs along Habour Road Port Harcourt.
Exhibits recovered include:
One Cut_to_size localy made gun and live cartridge
Toyota Camry Saloon Car with Reg No. AK 727 BNY
Toyota Camry Saloon Car with Reg No. FKJ 734 EG.
The suspect is helping the Police in Investigation.
KIDNAPPING:
10.On 2/11/2016 at about 1820 Hrs, Operatives of Anti Kidnapping Unit while on routine Patrol along Emohua/Choba axis of the East West Road intercepted a blue Toyota Camry with Reg No. AFAM 542 FN with two young men on board. Based on suspicion the two were arrested namely
1.Godspower Iweme ‘m’ 33yrs
2.John Diru ‘m’ 48yrs
On interrogation they confessed belonging to a dreaded kidnapping syndicate terrorizing Port Harcourt. They have made useful statements and are helping the Police in Investigation
11.On 6/11/2016 at about 2100Hrs Operatives of the command while on patrol heard sporadic shooting at Christ Chapel Avenue behind INTELS, Igbo Etche, they immediately mobilized to the scene. The hoodlums on sighting them engaged them in a shoot-out, the hoodlums were eventually over powered and fled into the forest with bullet wounds, abandoning one AK47 Rifle with breach No. 2524873 and two magazines loaded with twenty one 7.62mm live Ammunition.
Investigation is ongoing as efforts have been intensified to arrest them.
12.On 31/10/2016 one Justina Marcel ‘f’ of No. 6 Jonah Ihowa Street Woji Port Harcourt was kidnapped in her house and taken to an unknown destination. On a tip-off operatives of Anti-Kidnapping Unit intercepted the hoodlums and rescued the victim unhurt. She was debriefed and has long reunited with her family.
13.On 6/11/2016 at about 1600Hrs One Nmecha ‘m’ of valley Estate Port Harcourt was called on phone that his sister, One Chinwendu Udensi ‘f’ a student of lmo State University was kidnapped by unknown gun men at Imo State. The Kidnappers called and demanded for N6m ransom. The men of the IGP Monitoring Unit set a bait for them and as they went to pick the money at Obiri Ikwerre fly over in company of the victim, they were arrested. However it was later discovered that the victim, had connived with them and arranged her kidnap for the purpose of extorting money from her parents.
Both victim and suspect are helping the Police in Investigation and efforts intensified to arrest other members of the gang.
14.ARREST OF SUSPECTED CULTISTS
The Anti- Cultism Unit of the Command arrested the following suspects who have confessed to belonging to different cult groups terrorizing the people of Rivers State. They were arrested from different parts of the State, on different days, in a raid carried out by the Unit last week.
They are:
1.Kalebari Teekina ‘m’
2.Wisdom Naenwi ‘m’
3.Prince Court ‘m’
4.Promise Peh ‘m’
5.Victor Banabas ‘m’
6.Friday Afor ‘m’
7.Jacob Monday ‘m’
8.Daniel Bassy ‘m’
They are helping the Police in Investigation and will charged to court as soon as Investigation is over.
SUMMARY OF ARCHIEVEMENTS
No. of suspected kidnappers arrested - 10
No. of kidnappers prosecuted – 25
No. of Armed Robbers arrested – 28
No. of Cultists arrested – 11
No. of Armed Robbers fatally wounded – 2
No. of Arms recovered – 8
No. of Magazines recovered –2
No. of Vehicles recovered – 7
Large quantities of weed suspected to be Indian Hemp
Gentlemen of the Press, let me sincerely for the umpteenth time, thank you for the sustained relationship between you and the command. And I can only ask for more as we partner to fight crime in the State. It is my believe that the aggressive onslaught against criminals in the state will be sustained until crime and criminality are brought to a tolerable level. I have directed Area Commanders DPOS and Heads of Tactical Units to redouble efforts in crime fighting and and embark on massive raids of suspected criminal hideouts and black spots.
Lastly I wish to express the Command’s appreciation to members of the Public who have been assisting us in sharing information and urge them not to relent".
Thanks and God bless.
CP FRANCIS M. ODESANYA
Commissioner of Police
Rivers State Police command Port Harcourt
