Rivers Commissioner of Police, Nwonyi Polycarp Emeka on Friday paraded some deadly criminals arrested during recent operations of the operatives of the command in different parts of the state.
Giving details of the operations during his weekly media briefing at the Command Headquarters in Port Harcourt, CP Emeka said operatives of the Nkpolu Division arrested three suspected armed robbers and kidnappers who attacked and wounded a Computer Engineering student of the Rivers State University.
He also announced that three suspected members of the Black Axe confraternity were arrested at the entrance gate of one of the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt by the Nkpolu Police Division last week.
Sources within the institution said there seems to be an intra-cult fighting between suspected Black Axe members over an attempt by one faction to overthrow their number ‘one man’
According to them, the axe which represents the symbol ‘7’ is a major source of identification of the group.
CP Emeka explained Division received information from the acting Chief Security Officer, CSO, of the institution that some young men in a vehicle attacked and wounded another young man inside the campus.
CP Emeka said the Police intercepted the suspects in a car at the institution’s main gate and when a search was conducted, three sharp English axes and a locally made pistol were recovered from the vehicle.
He also added that three notorious armed robbers were arrested on 29th September 2023 along the Rumukwushi tank flyover and burgled a rice farm in the area.
CP Emeka stated that the Police patrol team moved to the scene where two pump action guns, a Hilux, a Toyota Sienna, a Bolt cutter, an iron bar, a walkie-talkie, a green coloured military jacket, three bags of rice were recovered from them.
He said the suspects were later identified as the same armed robbery gang who burgled the same shop on 9th August 2023.
CP Emeka revealed that on Wednesday 5th October 2023, the command received a call from a concerned citizen that a suspect stole a Toyota Camry parked around.
The Rivers Police Boss stated that a police patrol team swung into action and recovered the vehicle at intel, Irebe and arrested one suspect identified as Anthony John .
Operatives of Anti-cultism unit on routine patrol at Rumukine along Choba road intercepted a Toyota Sienna with two occupants, a male and a female with two two-year-old children.
One Miss Peace Effiong who was in the vehicle was arrested, while the acclaimed husband took to his heels.
The Police Commissioner said Miss Effiong confessed to have been contacted by some persons in Lagos to procure newborn babies in Port Harcourt with payment of over 2 million naira already received by her for the job.
Also, on Wednesday 11th October, 2023, a bag was discovered at Odiani Bridge by men of the Elelewon Police Division.
CP Emeka revealed that upon inspection, a pump action gun suspected to have been thrown away by criminal elements upon sighting police operatives was recovered.
On the same day, police operatives attached to Special Area Rumudomaya intercepted one Promise Dimkpa, aged 20 and recovered a locally made pistol.
CP Emeka also announced that on 12 October 2023, Police operatives from Olu-Obasanjo Division raided a criminal hideout at the CFC junction area where suspected criminals took to their heels while one revolver pistol was recovered.
The Commissioner of Police also assured that the Command is making progress in the bid to capture gang members who killed the DPO of the Ahoada Division of the state, SP Bako Angbashim.
He assured that sooner than expected, the cult gang leader, Gift David Okpara alias 2 Baba and his gang would be in the Police net.
“We have not relented in the pursuit of the members of the gang who killed one of my gallant DPO of Ahoada. We’ll get them soon as some of the members are already in our custody”.
