Robbery: Soldier,55 Others In Police Net

L-R: Chairman, Stanbic IBTC, Mr Atedo Peterside, Chief Executive, Sola David-Borha and Non-Executive Director, Mr Dominic Bruynseels, at the extraordinary General Meeting of the bank in Abuja, yesterday

The Bayelsa State Police Command has paraded 56 suspected criminals, among them, a soldier who deserted his command fighting against Boko Horam in far away Borno State.
Briefing journalists at its Command Headquarters in Yenagoa, Spokesman of the Command, Mr. Asinim Butswat said the arrested suspects were apprehended as a result of random raids on arears believed to be hideouts for them.
He said those arrested were actually caught with incriminating evidence,including guns, ammunition, and military uniforms, saying this was contrary to the allegations by a civil society group claiming that the force was making indiscriminate arrest of innocent citizens
According to him, the command was in receipt of complaints that some policemen were in the habit of illegal arrest, detention and extorting money indiscriminately from innocent members of the public.
“The command wishes to reiterate categorically that raids are operational strategies aimed at curbing crimes and Bayelsa Police Command has recorded successes in recent time through raids on hide outs.
“These feats would not have been achieved without raiding, there are several other suspects arrested through raiding, the command at the moment has 50 armed robbery suspects arrested through raiding”, he said.
According to him, “Six suspects, among them were serial rapists who were equally arrested through raiding,” Butswat said.
He said that the command had warned its men to refrain from extortion as anyone caught in the act will be seriously dealt with, and urged members of the public to report police excesses to the Police Public Relations Officer.
Butswat further enjoined the public to lodge complains of extortion to the command’s dedicated control room telephone number: 0703 4578208.