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