Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Police Command has arrested about nine suspects allegedly involved in armed robbery and kidnapping in the state.
The suspects, according to the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Grace Iringe-Koko, were arrested last Monday by operatives of C4i Intelligence Unit of the command after months of investigation on a recent crime they committed.
Parading the suspects yesterday at the C4i Unit office in Port Harcourt, the police spokesperson, explained that following a reported armed robbery attack that occurred in January, the police team sent a signal to other states across the country for the arrest of the suspects.
Iringe-Koko said in the process of the investigation, the chief suspect, Abdullahi Ibrahim, was arrested in Kano on May 12, who led them to arresting his accomplice on May 15, 2023, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The PPRO said: “Operatives of the C4i Intelligence Unit of the Rivers State Police Command, in the course of investigating a case of kidnapping and armed robbery reported on January 15, 2023, travelled to Kano State. On May 12, the police successfully effected the arrest of Mr. Abdullahi
Ibrahim.
“In the process, the team recovered a black 2010 Toyota Matrix with Reg. No: SPR 283 TA, and a blue 2008 Toyota Camry with Reg. No: ABC 49 AT, both believed to have been stolen in Port Harcourt.
“The police operatives also successfully trailed and arrested his co-conspirators, Tamunor Kubie Okari, 23, from Okrika; Vincent Kobani, 20, from Gokana, and Monima George, 22, from Buguma in Asari Toru, all in Rivers State.”
Iringe-Koko, who further stated that three locally made pistols and two live cartridges were recovered from Vincent Kobani upon his arrest in Victoria Street, Port Harcourt, added that: “The suspects confessed to the crime and described how they forcefully snatched the Toyota Matrix from one of their victims, and thereafter withdrew the sum of N209, 000 using his GT Bank ATM card.”
In a related development, five suspects were arrested in Abuja, Nasarawa and Gombe States for allegedly snatching cars from their victims in Port Harcourt.
According to Iringe-Koko, “Following an earlier arrest of a member of an armed robbery, car snatching syndicate on May 8, 2023, the Rivers State police operatives proceeded on investigation activities to Abuja, Nasarawa and Gombe States, where they nabbed five suspects, strongly believed to be responsible for car thefts in the state, and the sale of those stolen vehicles.
“They include Shehu Shagari, 33, from Kaduna South, Kaduna State, who is a major receiver of stolen vehicles from Hamisu Babangida, who is based in Port Harcourt, a direct receiver from one Tamuno Kobiye (aka Okorobo), a suspected armed robber, who is a native of Okrika and who has been convicted and imprisoned severally on similar offences.
“One Ibrahim Abubakar, 37, of Kala LGA in Bornu State also confessed that he bought one Prado SUV from Shehu Shagari at the rate of N5million and re-sold the same to one Alhaji Abdullahi, a Cameroonian.
“The same operation led to the arrest of one Nuhu Ahmed, 30, and Abdullahi, 30, both from Yola South LGA of Adamawa State.
“Exhibits recovered from the suspects included a cash sum of N2million, which was sent for the purchase of stolen Toyota Corolla, one Acura SUV with Reg. No: PBT 10 JP registered in the name of Mrs. Rebecca Mioko, a resident of Rivers State.”
However, the police spokesperson has revealed that the suspects would be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations, calling on residents of the state to remain supportive, law-abiding, vigilant, and promptly report any crime to the nearest police station.
