Police Arrest 2 for Vandalising N20m NPA Property

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Two persons have been arrested and paraded by the Port Authority Police, for allegedly vandalising Wharf quay Apron steel beam valued at N20million each, at Port Harcourt, Area1, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

The suspects are, Wiliams Tabotamuno (38), and Akpos Ekiye (44) years, were arrested follow an alleged timely report.
Parading the suspects, the Commissioner of Police, Eastern Port Command, Tami Evelyn Peterside said the suspects were arrested about 10 o’clock in the night of Monday, November 8, 2021, while trying to escape from men of Marine Police.
Peterside said the activities of the thieves are seriously affecting the durability of Wharf deck to the point that the platform is beginning to cave in.

She disclosed the value of the Quay beam being stolen by the thieves at N20 million each.
She said, “In recent time the Command has been inundated with activities of vandals at the Port.

“However, On November 8, 2021 at about 10 pm, acting on credible information, that hoodlums were sighted cutting NPA Wharf Steel Beam underneath the Quay Apron valued Twenty Million Naira (N20M) in the Port Harcourt, the Ports Authority Police Eastern Command moved swiftly by deploying its marine team which gave them a hot pursuit in the coastal waters and arrested two suspects.

“Exhibits recovered from the suspects include, One Tecno mobile phone, one canoe and two paddles, three gas cylinders of different sizes, two spanners, one wooden canoe with some particles of rusted iron fillings.”
Speaking further, the CP assured that the arrest of the duo would reduce, calm the illegal activities of vandals to save the quay apron from imminent collapse.

But the suspects denied the allegation, insisting that they were on the water channel in search of their missing relative when men of Marine Police arrested them, adding that the charge against them is bogus and unfounded.

Similarly, the command also paraded five Wharf thieves who allegedly diverted 23 bags of wheat at the Port.
Peterside assured that the driver of the truck; Akande Adeo and his three accomplice are currently being tried by a court of competent jurisdiction, in line with the constitution.

She urged members of the public to continue to co-operate with the Command, assuring that the Ports would be raid of criminal activities.