Police Parade 40 Suspected Criminals in Rivers

Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt

The Rivers State police command has paraded more than 40 persons arrested for various offences in the state.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Francis Odesanya, said criminals were now less than they were since his assumption of office in the state one month ago.

Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt on Thursday, Odesanya, who was represented by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni (DSP), said the suspects were arrested for various offences including kidnapping, cultism and armed robbery.

Among the suspects paraded were young boys whose ages ranged between 17 and 23 and one Vincent Affor, a final year student of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), who were arrested for allegedly being members of cult groups.

He disclosed that the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit on June 21 arrested four persons for allegedly kidnapping a 13-year-old Elizabeth Onyeahor at Egberu Afam Community in Oyigbo, adding that the girl had since been rescued and reunited with her family.

He also said the anti-kidnapping unit, acting on intelligence report, rescued some hostages who were abducted by some suspected cultists along the Elele-Owerri Road.

He said the police engaged the suspected hoodlums in a fierce gun battle and that the suspects were eventually overpowered and some dangerous weapons, including two AK 47 rifles, four magazines and 60 rounds of ammunition, recovered from them.

“The Anti-Kidnapping Unit again on the 6th of August, 2016, rescued one Okechukwu Njoku, aged 45, of Road 20 Rumuoahuru, Port Harcourt who was abducted on the 29th of July, 2016. He was rescued at Mercy Land Port Harcourt after a protracted gun battle with the kidnappers, two of the kidnappers were arrested and are helping the Police.

“At Ihugbogo Community, Ahoada East Local Government Area, the Anti-kidnapping Unit arrested one Don Chigbembudu Ewoh ‘m’ a notorious kidnapper/ armed robber who has been terrorizing the Ahoada/Omoku axis,” he said.

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