A vigilante group in Rivers State said its men arrested a 14-year-old boy with a pistol while robbing residents of Ikwerre Road in the Mile 1 axis of Diobu in Port Harcourt.
The local vigilante, known as Diobu Security Services revealed that the teenager (name withheld) allegedly led a three-man criminal during the operation on Sunday night.
The Commander of the Diobu Security Service, Prince Amatari, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Amatari explained that the boy’s arrest followed a distress call put across by residents of the area to the vigilante that some miscreants were dispossessing them of cash and other valuables along Ikwerre Street by Emenike when his men swooped on them.
He further disclosed that on sighting them, two of the criminals fled, but luck ran out for the 14-year-old who was nabbed.
The vigilante Commander said, “If a boy of 14 years can have the mind to rob residents with a pistol it tells you how the society is now.
“The victims said their money, clothes and mobile phones were collected by the criminals. I spoke with the suspect and he said it was hunger that pushed him into crime.
“Then I asked him at age 14 you are not talking about hunger, are you not supposed to be in school?
“He now said he doesn’t have money to train himself in school and that is why he joined an armed robbery gang.”
Amatari added that the suspect was later handed over to the Mile 1 Police Station in Port Harcourt, the state Capital.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, proved abortive as she did not answer calls put across to her by our correspondent.
Also, she had yet to reply to a text message sent to her as of the time of filing this report on Tuesday.