The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Emeka Nwonyi on Monday September 4,2023 paraded four Policemen attached to a neighboring state command over alleged extortion of about three persons in Portharcourt.
The four officers were said to have extorted 6.5million naira from three boys after tagging them internet fraudsters. he warned the public to stop tagging all policemen as bad stating that the Inspector General of Police, the Nigeria Police or the Commissioner of Police never asked any officer to commit crime and so the public should not generalize an alleged crime committed by a single Police Officer to label the police as been unprofessional.
CP Emeka during the press briefing gave the following details of success recorded in the state:-
1. As a follow-up to the kidnapping and release of one victim named withheld on 29/08/2023 at about 1830hrs, the Operatives of the Command arrested one Henry Thomas ‘m’, aged 40yrs, a native of Akinima in Ahoada-West Local Government Area of Rivers State.
During interrogation, he confessed to the crime and later led operatives to Akinima Community on 30/08/2023 at about 0400hrs where their operational vehicle, a Toyota Sienna car with Reg. No. MUS 606 AR, two pump action guns with breaches No. 23-0411 and 2h21yt-28, respectively, 20 rounds of LAR ammunition, 25 rounds of AK47 ammunition, and six cartridges were recovered from him.
An effort is ongoing to arrest other members of the dreaded syndicate and recover more of their operational weapons.
2. In a follow-up to the death of a cultists/kidnappers, police operatives of the command on 30/08/2023 arrested one Godspower Salete ‘m’ at Rumodogo at about 1424hrs and one Temple Emmanuel Woke ‘M’ 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.
The corpses 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.
3. On August 30, 2023, at about 1902hrs, detectives of the command received a distress call from the control room that a Yahama motorcycle with Reg. No. ABU 093 VT belonging to one Tracy Festus ‘F’ of Zuwist Empire Genesis Emporium Choba had been snatched from the rider. One Alex Shinku ‘m’ of Rumuokparali Ozuoba, after spraying a powdered substance on the rider’s face, immediately swung into action and tracked the said motorcycle to Abuja waterfront, recovered the snatched Yahama motorcycle, and also arrested one Godfirst Achi ‘m’, aged 26yrs of the same address at about 2130hrs on 30/08/2023 in connection with the crime.
The suspect and exhibit are in police custody for further investigation.
4. On Sunday, 03/09/2023 at about 1020hrs, 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 Inspr Abba Emmanuel and three others namely; Inspr Agbane Peter, Inspr. Ozenenwa Amadi, and Sgt. Akwugiobe Bartholomew.
They have been arrested and are in custody undergoing interrogation, also appeal 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.
Security is everybody’s business. Curbing crime in our society is a collective effort. I am calling on residents of the State to be open to security operatives’ efforts in fighting crime and criminality.
Thanks for your support as always.