Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Indabawa

By Ernest Chinwo

The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Indabawa, has said that 13 policemen lost their lives in the state in the line of duty between April and August this year.

He also said a total of 342 persons were arrested for various crimes, including armed robbery, kidnapping and cultism, while 36 other suspects were killed during these incidents.

Indabawa disclosed this to newsmen at the Police Headquarters in Port Harcourt Friday while highlighting the achievements of the command in the last four months.

He attributed the successes so far recorded in combating criminal activities in the state to the strategies mapped out and the implementation of same by men and officers of the command, while lamenting the death of the 13 policemen.

“It is with heavy heart that I want to inform you that the enumerated achievements by the command came at a great cost. A total of 13 Police officers lost their lives during the period under review.

“Several others (policemen) sustained various forms of injuries. Their deaths will not daunt our spirit, but will motivate the rest of us alive to fight and eradicate criminality and violent crimes from our society”, he said.

Indabawa gave a breakdown of the command’s achievements between April and August as follows: 173 armed robbery suspects were arrested. 26 armed robbery suspects were killed. 72 kidnapping suspects were arrested and 10 kidnapping suspects were killed.”