Wike Launches War Against Criminals …As Police Nab Soldier, Nine Others For Kidnapping

Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara (right) and the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, briefing State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja last Monday night.

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has declared war on criminals in the state.
He made the declaration shortly after the new Rivers State Police Commissioner, Chris Ezike paraded some criminals and other exhibits as part of the successes recorded within one month in office at the State Police Headquarters on Monday in Port Harcourt.
Wike declared that, “we will not continue to wait for these boys to terrorize the people and business community. So, we will take the war to wherever they are.”
The governor, therefore, pledged to provide full support and necessary logistics to aid the police in routing the criminals in the state.
While commending the police for the success so far recorded, Wike observed that, “God’s time has come, and justice will take its course. You have given us hope.”
Wike disclosed that soon, government will unveil vehicles and other equipment to help the police work effectively.
Earlier, the Rivers State Police Command had said  it has arrested one Elijah Owoh, an army private, who was said to have absconded from his duty post in Biu, Borno State for alleged armed robbery.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Chris Ezike, while parading nine other suspects before newsmen on Monday, said the soldier shot and killed a male victim during a robbery operation.
“Owoh, during investigation, confessed his involvement in a robbery incident in which a male victim was murdered around Eneka Farm Road in Port Harcourt.
“He admitted being an army Private with service number 12NA/68/7580-93 of 231 Battalion, Biu, adding that he fled the fight against insurgents in the North-East without official approval.”
Ezike said an AK 47 rifle with 90 rounds of ammunition in three magazines, a Mercedes Benz car with fake registration number, Lagos MS 301 KJA, were recovered from the suspect.
In another case, Ezike said policemen trailed and arrested a gang of three armed men (names withheld) around Elekahia, Port Harcourt,who specialised in kidnapping and killing of their victims.
He said the gang had on July 5, abducted one Friday Ozogo, who for inexplicable reasons, they had killed and buried in a shallow grave around Choba waterfront in the state.
“Unfortunately, despite their callous actions, the kidnappers continued to harass the victim’s family for ransom, and have collected over N500, 000 before police tracked them down.
“The victim’s corpse has been exhumed and taken to the mortuary for autopsy, while positive identification has been confirmed by the family.”
The commissioner said that two locally made pistols and 7.62mm ammunitions were recovered from the suspects.
Similarly, Ezike said his men had apprehended a notorious kidnap kingpin (name withheld), while trying to collect ransom from relations of a lawyer who was abducted on July 21 in Eleme, Rivers State.
He said that through the arrest, the police rescued a kidnapped lawyer and arrested two other members of the gang which included a suspected witch doctor.
“During interrogation, the kidnappers revealed that they were contracted to execute the job for N1 million, and were given 20 per cent mobilisation fee.”
According to Ezike, one locally made revolver with six rounds of ammunition was recovered from the suspects.
The police also paraded four women and two male teenagers for their alleged involvement and conspiracy in the theft of a seven-month- old baby girl who was stolen from her home.
“The suspects (names withheld) confessed to have conspired and sneaked through a broken window at night and quietly stole the child at her parent’s home at Mile 2, Diobu, Port Harcourt.
“The baby was taken to Nekede, in Imo state, and sold for N200, 000 to one Nkechi Anyanwu, 45, while two female accomplices of Anyanwu who resides in Owerri were equally arrested.
“The child’s mother, Mrs Rose Friday, had earlier reported the child’s abduction from her residence at the Mile One Police station,” he said.
Ezike said that Police Mobile Force Personnel, Tactical Unit and Special Detectives had been deployed to combat cultists, armed robbers and kidnappers terrorising residents in Eleme, Ubima, Aggah and Emohua communities.