The Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit (IGPMU), Abuja, has flushed out 60 suspected armed robbers and kidnappers from Rivers State. Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of IGPMU, Mr. Beneth Igwe, said in Abuja that the unit carried out the operation against the suspected criminals in Rivers State recently.
“We have adopted the vision and mission of IGP Mohammed Adamu in applying professionalism and community policing. That helped in the clampdown on the criminals in Rivers State. There is no chance for criminals to operate in Abuja axis and we have driven them out of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“We arrested 15 suspected kidnappers terrorising the people of Ikwerre, Elele, Obaga, Rukukum, Mile 3 and Mile 1. We have dealt with armed robbers terrorising residents. We raided their hideouts and recovered arms like pump action guns, AK47 rifles and cartridges.
“We rescued 20 victims from kidnappers and no ransom was paid. We killed some kidnappers in a sting operation when we stormed thick forests at Uzohia and Ubima in Ikwerre Local Government. Four victims were kidnapped on Ubima Road in a commercial bus travelling from Port Harcourt to Onitsha and were taken to a forest. Five kidnappers waiting to collect ransom were killed while four others escaped and four victims rescued.”
Igwe commended the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Usman Bello, for arresting another five suspected kidnappers terrorising Ogoni residents: “Some victims were rescued. Kidnapping in River State has gone down dynastically. We appreciate the people for giving vital pieces of information that assisted us to fight the criminals.
“The IGPMU operatives raided their hideouts in Mini-Okoro, Airport, Owerri highway and Ikwere expressway. We recovered some sophisticated weapons and policemen rifles, AK47 rifles and magazine.
“The Ikwere community appreciated our presence when we ransacked some of the houses of the kidnappers and armed robbers. They have abandoned their houses and left their property, wife and children behind. There has been a strong surveillance in all the axis of Eleme community.
“We have been having joint operations with the Army and NSCDC when they raided the hoodlums. We succeeded in arresting some of the criminals and they will be charged to court. Some of the hoodlums are still helpful in given us information to pick other gang members in their hideouts.
“Rivers State has been peaceful and with the co-operation of the people. This has yielded good results by flushing out hoodlums from the community. Traditional rulers and stakeholders appreciated what we are doing.”
Police Public Relations Officer, Rivers State, Nnamdi Omoni, added that the IGPMU in joint operation with the command has been doing excellently well: “The command is irrevocably committed to rid the state of all criminal elements. We enjoin the people to continue to give the command useful information that can lead to the arrest of these hoodlums.”