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The newly deployed Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Mohammed.
Men of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested three notorious kidnappers terrorising travellers and motorists on the Port Harcourt-Owerri highway area of the state.
The command said the miscreants were responsible for a series of armed robberies and kidnappings on the highway including the recent abduction of a corps member.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Mohammed, disclosed this while parading the suspects and others before newsmen in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Mohammed said the hoodlums usually set up illegal roadblocks at strategic points along the expressway before launching an attack on motorists at gunpoint, taking them hostage and thereafter demanding ransom from their families.
He stated, “The Rivers State Police Command has apprehended three notorious kidnap suspects following a series of highway robberies and kidnappings along the Port Harcourt-Owerri Expressway.
“The arrest comes as part of an intensified crackdown on criminal activities along the route, which has been a hotspot for violent attacks on motorists.”
While naming the suspects, the CP said, “Blessing Akpelu alias NTA, aged 20; Precious Ebee (30) and Wisdom Amadi (28) are all natives of Egbeda in Emohua Local Government Area of the state.
“They are known for orchestrating roadblocks to trap unsuspecting travellers and have been under police surveillance after an alarming spike in kidnappings, including the abduction of a National Youth Service Corps member and two others along the Elele/Omerelu area of the expressway.”
Continuing, CP Mohammed said, “The first two suspects were arrested on October 17, 2024, by men of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Rivers State Police Command while the third suspect, Wisdom Amadi, who was identified as the gang leader was arrested at Egbeda on October 19, 2024.”
He said the three suspects had confessed to kidnapping and other crimes, pointing out that their arrest was made possible after the police traced their whereabouts through intelligence gathered.
The state police boss said investigations were ongoing to arrest their accomplices and retrieve their operational weapons as well as to uncover the full extent of their criminal network and bring them to book.
Mohammed added, “The Rivers State Police Command assures the public that it remains vigilant in ensuring the safety of all road users along the Port Harcourt-Owerri Expressway even as we urge citizens to remain alert and report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station.”
In a separate development, the CP said operatives had nabbed a suspected armed robber who attacked a corps member and carted her iPhone.
According to him, “In the same swoop, the police arrested one Baridam Berebom from Mogho in Gokana LGA.
“He was arrested with an SMG rifle with which he and his gang robbed a female NYSC corps member of her iPhone 12.
The police swiftly responded to a distress call about the robbery and gave a hot pursuit of the armed robbers.
“The suspect was arrested while other gang members fled. The victim’s phone and the operational weapon were recovered.” saying the police were actively following all available leads to track down fleeing members of the gang.”
Mohammed urged the public to continue to cooperate with the police by providing timely and credible information, saying, “Together, we can make Rivers State a safer place for all.”
