Police Parade Rapists, Fraudsters in A’Ibom

Okon Bassey in Uyo

Police in Akwa Ibom State at the weekend paraded nine persons arrested for committing various nefarious crimes, including raping and hoodwinking of innocent members of the public in the state.

Among those paraded at the State Police Headquarters, Ikot Akpan-abia, Uyo, were members of a three-man gang that specialises in raping unsuspecting females by hypotinizing them.

The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Cordelia Nwawe, who briefed reporters, said the suspects were arrested after a tip-off from one of their victims and a female student of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO).

According to the image-maker of the State Police Command, the gang usually posed or disguised themselves as commercial motorcycle operators, a crime which she said, had been very rampant in the state capital of recent.

“Their modus (operandi) has always been to pretend to be commercial tricycle drivers, go to areas with a high population of women like the University of Uyo area, carry victims as passengers and in the process hypotenize their victims to extort money from them and also have unlawful sex with them”, she said

Warning particularly female members of the public to be cautious of the secret activities of the tricycle operators in the state, Nwawe disclosed that the stop and search practice of the command would further be strengthened

Also arrested was a five-man illegal traffic enforcement team that specialises in forcing drivers to part with huge sums of money under the guise of violation of traffic rules in Uyo metropolis.

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