The Rivers State Police Command said one robbery suspect was fatally wounded while four female and two males in kidnapping and one-chance robbery incidents were arrested by operatives of the command in twin operations in the state.

The command police public relations officer (PPRO), SP Grace Iringe-Koko who briefed the press at the command headquarters in port harcourt on Monday ,said a total of six suspects including one-chance robbery gang and child trafficking gang in the State were recently arrested.

The gangs comprise four females and two males. “On September 4, 2024 at about 9pm, Operatives of the Command attached to the Intelligence and Surveillance Unit on a routine patrol along Garrison axis of Aba road, Port-Harcourt, sighted a Purple coloured Volkswagen Golf 3, with registration number RIVERS -ABU 738 LS with six occupants. As the patrol van approached the vehicle, one of the occupants was pushed out of the Car around the Garrison flyover area.

“This heinous action heightened suspicions of the Operatives who then gave the vehicle a hot chase, eventually intercepting the suspects at the Eleme junction just under the bridge,”the PPRO said.

According to her,”the driver and one other escaped, while the Police apprehended three suspects namely,Thaddeus Sunday Ogu ‘m’, a 42-year-old native of Orlu Community in Njaba LGA of Imo State and self acclaimed artisan residing at Camp Pipeline, Oyigbo, Chinagorom Eze ‘f’, aged 35 years, a native of Ekpija Community in Enugu North LGA of Enugu State, but resident at Railway, Oboama Oyigbo and Favour Yusuf ‘f’, aged 30 years and a native of Plateau State, presently residing at Anele Filling Station, Mbano Camp, Oyigbo. “One of the suspects, Thaddeus Sunday Ogu ‘m’ attempted to evade arrest by opening fire on the Police operatives which led to him sustaining bodily injuries that eventually proved fatal.

He was taken to the Police Clinic, Port-Harcourt where he succumbed to his injuries after receiving treatment. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects specialize in one chance operations, luring unsuspecting victims into their operational car posing as a commercial vehicle.

They would create a single passenger space (chance) at the front seat, while the gang members would occupy every other chance. When a victim gets in, they would raise a false alarm in order to get the victim agitated, eventually dispossessing him or her of their money or phones and pushing them out of the moving car. They would then sell the stolen items to awaiting receivers and share the proceeds amongst themselves.”

The suspects were said to have confessed to the crime and revealed that they have been operating in Port-Harcourt and its environs between 10 pm to 5 am daily for the past three years before meeting their Waterloo on that fateful day.

Items recovered from the suspects include their operational Golf 3 Volkswagen Car and one locally made pistol with one live cartridge . Investigation is ongoing, while efforts have been intensified to arrest other fleeing members of the syndicate.

The suspects and exhibits are in Police custody and will be charged to court at the conclusion of investigation.

In a related development,the Police said they cracked a child-trafficking syndicate operating in Rivers State. According to the PPRO;

“On August 25, 2024, at about 6.35 a.m., Operatives of the Command attached to Ubima Divisional Headquarters received a complaint from a middle-aged woman (name and address withheld) indicating that one Queen Orlu ‘f’ aged 20 years was seen lying unconscious in Omeka Farmland at Ucheabuor.

Operatives immediately mobilised to the scene where the victim was met in a pool of blood with multiple injuries all over her body and her intestines protruding out of a cut on her stomach. “Police investigations revealed that the victim was lured into a bush path at Ubima by one Polycarp Uzoma ‘m’ of Akwa in Ohaji LGA of Imo State, but presently resident at Ubima”.

He was said to have used a bicycle to convey his victim to the designated spot and then attacked her, hitting her repeatedly with a stick and a yet-to-be-identified weapon. When she became unconscious, he took her one-year-old baby boy, Desire Orlu and left her to die.

The baby said to have been sold to one Happiness Amadi ‘f’ for N1.4m .The deal was brokered by one Chinyere Ordu ‘f’ an acclaimed auxiliary nurse who received the sum of N800,000.00 as part payment for the trafficking deal. The Police Spokesman said three suspects have been arrested in connection with incident and have confessed to the crime. The Police said they have recovered the N800,000.00 and bicycle as exhibits.

The one-year-old baby boy was also rescued and the victim is currently on admission at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the University of Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital for medical treatment. The PPRO said suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of the investigation

Akujobi Amadi

The Comptroller General of Customs in Nigeria, Bashir Adawale Adeniyi has said that recent intelligence and seizures have revealed that Onne Port is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and Illicit cargo.
According to him, the scale and nature of these illegal importations pose a significant threat to national security and the health of Nigerian citizens.
Comptroller Adeniyi said this on Wednesday in a press conference at the Onne Port in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The customs boss who displayed 12 containers of Illicit goods intercepted by Area 2 command stated that the interception was through a combination of intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration and meticulous physical examination.
He said that the policy thrust of President Bola Tunubu administration supports, the re-energising of the country’s business environment to drive faster import clearance and grow the capacity for exports.
“ Our emphasis has been to promote initiatives that speak to trade facilitation and economic development. “It is a matter of regret that criminal elements in the international supply chain are exploiting our pro-trade stance to commit atrocities bordering on national security breaches.
“ The attempts to test our will through the importation of dangerous cargo through this Onne Port has necessitated the declaration of a state of emergency in Onne Port.
“ Coming on the heels of a seizure of a huge cache of arms couple of months ago, it is disheartening that perpetrators have not backed down on their illegal acts,” Adeniyi said.
The customs boss explained that some of the seizures on display: 40 feet container containing 4,800 pairs of military / paramilitary camouflage, rain boots and 67,320, pairs of various rubber footwears with a duty paid value N923, 040,000.
“Three, 40-feet container containing 562,600 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine and 3,150 pieces of chilly cutters with a DPV of N4, 716,573,846.
“ Three 40-feet containers, containing 380,000 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine 24,480, 000 tablets of Royal tramodol hydrochloride 5,350,000 tablets of tapentadol and Carisoprodol and other items with a DPV N17, 432,506,000.
“ Five, 40 feet containers containing 892,400 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine; 1,300,000 tablets of 50ml extra diclofenac, 7,250,000 tablets of 5ml trodol benzhexol and other items with a DPV of N128, 568,295.00.
“ These interceptions bring the total duty paid value of the 12 seized containers to a staggering N31, 200,688,142,” the customs boss said.
He emphasized that the Illicit Cargo is not just customs issue but it is security concern that will affects every Nigerian.
“ As we move on, I to reiterate our commitment to continuing this momentum that under my leadership will leave no stone unturned in our mission to protect the health and safety of Nigerians.
He commended the officers of Port Harcourt Areas 2 Command for their relentless efforts in safeguarding the Nation.

By: Kiadum Edookor

Chairman of the Governing Council of Rivers State University (RSU), Nkpolu Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, Justice Mary Odili (rtd.) has called for the reintroduction of Teachers Training College (TTC) in Rivers State in order to enhance the intellectual capacity of teachers in the State.
Justice Odili made this call at the presentation of a book, titled, “Dr. Christie Toby: Touching Lives, Raising leaders”, held in Port Harcourt, Wednesday.
The 358 paged book written by Dotun Adekanmbi, is episodic and has intricate narrative, touching different disciplines of knowledge and depicts the life of Dame Christie as a life of sacrifice from childhood characterised by moving from place to place due to her father’s postings to different cities.
She stated that she has always been pained over the nation’s education system which has suffered because of government policies.
“I have prayed and craved for an opportunity to unburden my mind over this, and God has answered my prayers”, she said.
According to her, it was providential to be nominated as chairman of the book presentation, noting that there is distress in the education policy in the country.
”Why phase out the Teachers Training College system (for Grade Two Teachers)? Now, we see half-baked teachers everywhere. The foundation of education has been swept off”, she stated.
She noted that untrained teachers now teach children in schools, noting that Dr Christie Toby’s early training with grounding in teachers’ college was what made her very strong in teaching and education management.
“The skills acquisition scheme of Dr. Peter Odili/Gabriel Toby administration was different because it had methodology. Please, return to the Teachers Training College (TTC) system”, she said.
She appealed to teachers, school managers, and parents to “get the book and read it well, as it is impactful and educative”.
Also speaking, the book reviewer, Dr. Williams Wodi, said the book depicts “Dame Christie Toby: a life of sacrifice from childhood to now. Moving from place to place due to her father’s nomadic life or postings to different cities.
“She concluded her education at Cardiff which is known worldwide as the centre of teaching.
“The tragedy of Nigeria’s education is that it boasts of teachers that rather need to be taught. They boast of academic titles instead of capacity, illiterate teachers. The damage done by these illiterate teachers will need 50 years of hard work to repair”.
He made some observations about the book, especially the need for organic linkage of the chapters, saying that the observations noticed can be treated in the next edition.
In her opening remark, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari opined that it was a tasking project, but it is good for a deserving mother, the woman who deserves her flowers and thanked every one who attended the programme for the honours done to her mother.
Earlier in her speech, the celebrant, Dame Christie Toby, expressed her delight and gratitude, highlighting the many experiences in early life that sharpened her career and path in later life.
“My goal was simple: To contribute in the field of education in a very difficult system. I didn’t know it would enrich my life and the lives of others.
“I am today proud of my students: many of them have turned out big in their fields”, she said.

By: Akujobi Amadi