The Rivers State Police Command, says it has recovered the sum of N5.6million from the unspecified amount of money carted away by unidentified gunmen during a robbery attack last Friday at Rukpokwu market junction  in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state, which left eight policemen and three civilians dead.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ben Ugwuegbulam, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP disclosed this to newsmen in Port Harcourt over the weekend while reacting to the robbery incident.

Ugwuegbulam disclosed that “combined police formation have launched investigations to unravel the cause of the attack as  we will fish out the fleeing armed robbery gang”.

The police image maker said that the incident occurred when one of the police escort vans developed a fault at Rukpokwu market junction as money belonging to Oceanic Bank was being conveyed from the airport to the bank at Trans-Amadi.

According to the police spoke person, the robbers took advantage of the situation and attacked the police escorts, adding that the police men however engaged the armed gunmen in a shoot out which resulted in the death of the victims including members of the gang.

However, a source close to the scene of the incident told The Tide that the armed robbers over-powered the police escorts, killing all the policemen on that routine operation while stray bullets hit some people within the vicinity.

According to the source, the armed gang also killed the driver of the bullion van which they escaped with including the undisclosed amount of money it contained.

The attack, which was said to have lasted for forty-five minutes caused a heavy traffic jam at the ever busy Igwuruta-Owerri Road while motorists, passers-by and school children scampered for safety.

It would be recalled that a similar robbery incident occurred barely four days before this attack at Every Day Super Market along Rumuola Road where unknown gunmen attacked and killed two police escorts and a lady cashier of the Everyday Super Market.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government, has reacted to  the recent armed robbery incidents that claimed the lives of some residents of the state, saying, it is set to rid the state of criminals and tighten security.

Governor Chibuike Amaechi gave the assurance at the weekend as he noted that the government was aware of the recent reports of armed robbery activities around banks in the State capital, Port Harcourt.

Governor Amaechi also sounded a clear warning to criminals to stay away from Rivers State.

“The Governor is working tirelessly in collaboration with security agencies in the State and would stop at nothing to ensure that these acts of criminality are nipped in the bud,” Iyofor said.

“These criminals seem to specialise in robbing banks or people going to or coming from banks or persons moving cash to or from banks. Our investigations have revealed that these robberies are perpetrated by gangs who are in a mad rush for money to spend in the fast approaching yuletide season.

“But we want to assure residents of the State that new and fresh security measures are now in place to deal with these criminals. We want to assure residents of Port Harcourt that we are on the trail of these criminal gangs, and sooner than later, they would have to answer for all their heinous crimes.”

“Specific security arrangements have been put in place to deal with these criminal elements. we urge the people to remain calm and extremely vigilant as they go about their daily business”,  Iyofor added.

Amaechi further warned these criminals to pack and leave Rivers State immediately or be ready to face the full wrath of the law and the state government.

Akujobi Amadi