Rivers: Police parade 23 arrested criminal suspects, rescue 60 victims
Barth Ndubuwah, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Police Command has paraded 23 suspected criminals involved in different crimes, ranging from armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, car-snatching, job racketeering, among others.
The Commissioner of Police in the State, Nwonyi Emeka Monday, while briefing journalists on the achievements of his Command for the last two weeks said.
“The Rivers State Police operatives were notified on Tuesday, 20/06/2023 at about 2145hrs following actionable intelligence and a complaint of fraudulently obtaining the sum of one million, six hundred, and fifty thousand naira (N1,650,000) reported by One Chima Ukaghu and Okodo Jonathan, both residents of Port Harcourt, and Bature Solomon, a resident of Ikorodu Lagos, by a syndicate of fraudsters operating at Rumuahorlu, Port Harcourt.
“A team of operatives raided two locations housing notorious syndicates and also providing a safe haven for them to carry out their nefarious criminal activities.
“The following members of the syndicate were arrested: Wisdom Kasi ‘M,’ aged 25yrs; Nwankpa Ejike ‘M,’ aged 30yrs; Eze Christian ‘M,’ aged 21 Yrs; Nome Ikechukwu ‘M,’ aged 27yrs; Nkoma Maduabuchi ‘M,’ aged 26yrs; Oghenerume Godstime ‘M,’ aged 25yrs; Apharake Sefa ‘M,’ aged 26yrs; Ogodo Benedict ‘M,’ aged 19yrs; Innocent Ogboso ‘M,’ aged 28yrs; Emmanuel Chinonso ‘M,’ aged 27 Yrs; Lucky Napoleon ‘M,’ aged 26yrs; Emmanuel Nwafor ‘M,’ aged 26yrs and Jackson Ndifreke ‘M,’ aged 32yrs.
“A total of 60 victims, including eight females and fifty males, were rescued,” the CP said.
The CP also said that the killers of the Aide to Former Chief to Wike, Emeka Woke, late Justice Azunda were among the arrested suspects.
In his words, “similarly, on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at about 1030hrs, one Thankgod Woruka was arrested in connection with the abduction of Hon. Justice Azunda, Chief Protocol to former Chief of Staff, Hon. Emeka Woke, who was abducted on June 4, 2023.
“The said suspect, during interrogation, confessed that he knew where the abducted victim was buried. He led patrol teams to the forest, where he showed the victim’s grave site and also the camp of the dreaded kidnapper “Wordi,” where one Motorcycle, AK 47, an empty magazine, and three ATM cards were found; two of the ATM cards bore the name of the abducted victim.”
The CP said the body of the late Hon. Justice Azunda has been exhumed by the Health Department of the Emohua LGA and deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.
He urged the public to join the fight against crime in Rivers State by volunteering useful information to the Police, pointing out that ridding the state of criminals is a collective responsibility.
