The Rivers State Police Command said it has arrested 11 suspected kidnappers, robbers and recovered over 1,000 firearms and 15 vehicles at different locations in the State.
The suspects were Tony Raphael, Ifeanyi Okoye, 42, Chigozie Onirigbo, 28, Emeka Nwaiwu, 37, Chinedu Isia, 32, Clark Sunday, 23, Reward Womuru, Ernest Wali, Ekaenemerem Onyebueyi Onyebueyi, Andrew Atuse (fake corporal) and Uche Ani (an ex-convict).
State Commissioner of Police, Zaki Ahmed, disclosed this, on Tuesday, when he paraded the hoodlums, who were arrested by operatives of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS), at the command’s headquarters, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.
Ahmed said the feat was recorded by the command recently, following the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to mop up illegally acquired firearms in the country and resolve to rid the State of criminal elements.
According to him, the suspects usually operated in Police Van, wore black Jean trousers and T-shirts in Police colours, with Ford Van in Police colour, bearing revolving light.
He said the bandits had confessed to the crime and admitted that they were responsible for several kidnap and robbery operations that took place in Port Harcourt and its environs late 2017, till the time of their arrest this July.
The State Police boss also said that the aggressive sensitization campaigns on fighting crime, which was taken to churches, had yielded a positive result, with some dreaded cultists denouncing their membership and embracing God.
Ahmed noted that the Salvation Ministries took the campaign to the creeks, where suspected cultists willingly surrendered their arms and ammunition, and urged organisations and members of the public to sustain the existing synergy between them and Police.
He assured, “I want to reaffirm our commitment to the fight against crime and criminality in the State and further appeal to the good people of the State to continue to support the Police in our bid to rid the State of all criminal elements”.
