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From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Police command has arrested four suspected personnel of the Force, for aiding and abetting forceful acquisition of lands by some individuals in the state.
Daily Sun gathered that the suspects, whose identities could not be ascertained at the time of filing the report, used the name of some senior police officers to give backing to suspected land grabbers to harass, intimidate and extort money from property owners in an estate in Rumuahorlu community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
Operatives of different tactical units (including C4i, Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Cultism) of the command, with over 20 patrol vehicles, yesterday, stormed an area called Cedar Wood Estate, raided a particular building reported to be the camp of the police personnel on illegal operation.
The operatives of the tactical units said they acted on the orders of the Commissioner of Police, Friday Eboka.
During the operation, four police officers (two in Police uniform and two in mufti) and their civilian driver were arrested and a patrol van without plate number belonging to them was impounded.
However, some police personnel and civilians used in carrying out their illegal operations escaped arrest.
Some landlords of the estate, who spoke to newsmen at the scene of incident, commended the Commissioner of Police for carrying the operation to dislodge the perpetrators.
They complained that the activities of the police personnel were becoming unbearable to property owners in the area, leading to the petition to Inspector General of Police and Rivers State Police boss.
Also, they alleged that the police suspects, always fully armed in company of some suspected hoodlums, would invade their property, harass, intimidate and extort money from them.
According to the property owners, sometimes, they suspects would fence and resale their lands, and the raid as ordered by the Commissioner of Police will give them some relief.
