Police Kill Two Kidnap Suspects, Parade Officers for Extortion in Rivers

Nab robbers operating on Second Niger bridge in Anambra

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt and  David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Operatives of the Rivers State Police command have  killed two suspects allegedly involved in murder and kidnapping in Emohua Local Government Area of the state.

Similarly,  police operatives  in Anambra State have arrested two robbers who operate on the newly constructed second Niger Bridge.

In a briefing yesterday with journalists, at the command headquarters on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, the Commissioner of Police (CP) in the state, Emeka Nwonyi said the suspects were killed during a gun duel with operatives of the command at Rumuodogo community in Emohua.

Nwonyi said: “In a follow-up to the death of a cultists/kidnappers, police operatives of the command on August 30, 2023 arrested one Godspower Salete at Rumodogo at about 2:45pm and one Temple Emmanuel Woke of Rumuodogo-1 in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State were also arrested in connection to the case.

“The two suspects led a team of Policemen to Rumuodogo Forest for the recovery of their arms.”

“During the process, their gang members engaged the police in a gun battle, and in the process, the two suspects were fatally wounded while others escaped with bullet wounds. One AK49 rifle with breach no. Ek3911 and six magazines with twenty rounds of 7.62mm ammunition were recovered,” he said.

The CP said the corpses of the killed suspects have been deposited at De-light Mortuary, Ogbakiri, for autopsy, while intensive efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects and recover more of their operational weapons.

During the briefing, four officers were paraded who were said to have allegedly extorted N6.5 million from three boys after tagging them internet fraudsters.

CP revealed that the police suspects are attached to a neighbouring state command and assured the public  that at the end of investigation, proper action would be taken.

Also paraded were another four policemen who were accused of allegedly assaulting a woman in a viral video on social media.

He said: “On Sunday, August 03, 2023 at about 10:20am, based on a complaint of unprofessional conduct and incivility to members of the public on social media by officers of the Nigeria Police Force, Rivers State Command where a woman was allegedly assaulted by policemen on stop and search duty at Akania Junction, Ada George Road, Port Harcourt.

“Upon receipt of the complaint, the Commander of the CP Monitoring Unit, swung into action and identified the officers as men of Anti-cultism on Stop and Search led by Inspector Abba Emmanuel and three others namely; Inspector Agbane Peter, Inspector  Ozenenwa Amadi, and Sgt. Akwugiobe Bartholomew.

“They have been arrested and are in custody undergoing interrogation.”

 The CP, however, appealed for the lady that was assaulted to come to the command to give her own side of the incident for proper investigation to be carried out.

Meanwhile, the CP has warned that “the Nigeria Police, the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police never asked any officer to commit crime and so the public should not generalise an alleged crime committed by a single Police Officer.”

Meanwhile,  the police operatives  in Anambra State have arrested two robbers who operate on the newly constructed second Niger Bridge. The bridge has recently been noticed to be a den of robbers  because of its under used nature, while vandals also seize the opportunity vandalise some equipment on the newly constructed  bridge.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, made the disclosure of the arrest of the robbers in a statement made available to THISDAY yesterday.

He said: “Men of Anambra State Police Command attached to Harbour  Division last week nabbed two robbers dispossessing unsuspecting citizens of their valuables on the  Second Niger Bridge.

“The Police team, which was on surveillance patrol on the Bridge to prevent vandals from stealing expansion joints,  were alerted  to activities of the gang near the Obosi end of the bridge

“The covert Police Team monitored the gang and swooped  on them arresting two of the gangsters while others fled.

“When searched, two daggers  and five SIM cards removed from previously stolen phones were recovered from the suspects aged between 20 and 22 years.

“One of the suspect hailed from Enugu State and the other from Ebonyi State.

“The Commissioner of Police CP Aderemi Adeoye commended the Police Team for its vigilance and courage  in confronting the gang.

“He has directed that owners of the recovered SIM cards be located with a view to assembling evidence for successful prosecution of the arrested suspects.”