The Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Okon Effiong Okon, has reiterated that the command will flush out criminals from the State irrespective of where they are. The Police boss said this while addressing newsmen at the Command Headquarters at Moscow Road in the State Capital, on the Command’s achievements between October and December 2022.
CP Okon stated that seven out of eight kidnappers who abducted the Chief Executive Officer of an Oil company in a deadly attack on the Rumuokoro flyover have been arrested.
“On 24/11/2022, some hoodlums that kidnapped one Mr. Seni Awosika MD of KIPES Group Gas and Oil Company and the Project Manager at Rumuokoro flyover Port Harcourt. That kidnap suspects claimed the lives of three Mobile Police Officers. Operatives of the Command swung into action and arrested the hoodlums.On 1/12/2022, one of the suspected kidnappers was arrested in Port Harcourt. As investigation continue” he noted.
He disclosed that one of the kidnappers was shot dead while the victim has been rescued. The Commissioner said the command has discovered the hideout of members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state.
CP Okon also paraded some suspected criminals terrorizing parts of the State, stating that ten members of the IPOB including those who were involved in the burning of the Police Station at Oyigbo, during End SARS protest are also in custody.
He revealed that operatives of the command also stormed the camps of fake Civilian JTF Officers in Ahoada and Omoku where over seven suspects were arrested and others are on the run.
CP Okon stated that 15 criminal hideouts were raided in the state and over 145 suspected criminals have been arrested from these hideouts within the three months under review.
The Commissioner confirmed to newsmen that over hundred and twenty suspected criminals arrested for different offences in parts of the state including twenty two kidnap suspects, twenty seven armed robbery suspects, were paraded within the period under review. While three police officers were reportedly killed and one officer sustained injury during this period.
According to the Police Boss, between October and December 2022, twenty one arms, one hundred and thirty-six ammunition were recovered while eleven kidnapped victims were rescued and four illegal oil bunkery sites were destroyed .
