Fire Arms: Police Nab 15, Recover Ammunition

L-R:Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, discussing with U.S. Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, Charles Rivkin and National President, Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, Chief Olabintan Famutimi, at the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Financing Conference In Abuja, yesterday

Determined to sustain the fight against violent crimes and mop up illicit fire arms and ammunition, the Rivers State Police Command says it has recovered 11 arms of various variations, 105 rounds of 7.62 live ammunition and 22 cartridges from criminals in the state.
The Police also arrested 15 suspects for their alleged involvement in various criminal activities in the state in the last one week.
The State Commissioner of Police, Hyelasinda Musa Kimo stated this yesterday while parading some suspects arrested by the Command during a press briefing held at the Police Headquarters in Port Harcourt, to showcase the modest achievements recorded in one week after he assumed duty as the State Commissioner of Police.
Kimo, while giving the breakdown of the arms and ammunition recovered  by the Command, said three AK 47 riffles, one Assault riffle, two locally made short guns, one locally made pistol, one revolver pistol, two cut size guns, 105 rounds of 7.62 live ammunition as well as 22 cartridges were recovered from the criminals.
The State Police boss disclosed that five armed Robbery suspects, three suspected kidnappers, and seven suspected cultists were arrested while three kidnap victims were rescued and five assorted vehicles recovered.
According to him, on September 7, 2015, at about 1.00am, Policemen acting on a tip off, stormed the residence of a notorious cultist and armed robber, one Friday Kwee from Bere Community in Khana LGA, adding that the suspect escaped the arrest while his accomplice, Dumka Friday (F) was arrested.
He further disclosed that one Rimp action gun, 10 live cartridges and one Toyota Camry Car with registration No Lagos SMK243 BW suspected to have been stolen were recovered in his house.
The State Police boss also gave the name of Nsikak Oscar Ndoki, Emeka Aka Okoro, Samuel Nwankwo, Ikeadighim Micheal Nwachukwu, Sunday Papa, and Eyo Samuel as suspected cultists arrested at different locations during the period under review, saying that they were undergoing interrogation.
On kidnapping, Kimo said on September 3, 2015, at about 3.45am, Police operatives raided Isaka Creeks, and rescured one Ann Emeka, kidnapped on August 28, 2015, adding that three of the kidnappers were fatally wounded during the rescue operation.
“One Friday Desmond was rescued at about 1.15am in a forest along East-West Road. The victim was kidnapped on September 5, 2015. Three suspected kidnappers of the victim, namely Promise Ugochi, Stephen Jumbo and Uchechi Nwachukwu were arrested. Two locally made short guns were recovered from them”, he stated.
He used the opportunity  to assure that the police will no longer wait for criminals to strike but would continue to be proactive and raid their hide outs no matter the difficulty of the terrain across the state.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Hyelasinda Musa Kimo, Monday averted what would have been a bloody crisis in Rumuekpe Community, Emohua Local Government Area of the State.
The State Commissioner of Police told journalists during a press briefing at the state Police headquarters in Port Harcourt, yesterday that his quick intervention in the matter saved the situation, adding that he led other members of the management team of the Police Command to the Community to  appeal to members to embrace peace.
According to him,  members of Rumuekpe Community had barricaded the ever-busy East-West Road, protesting the  non-clean up of Oil spill in their area by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
He used the opportunity to thank the people for listening to his plea to remove all the blockade from the road, and assured them of his support to ensure that peace was attained in the area.

Akujobi Amadi/Gloria Afonya-a