Operatives of the C4i Intelligence Unit of the Rivers State Police Command have busted a kidnap syndicate and recovered arms and ammunition in the state.
The Rivers State Police Spokesperson, a Superintendent of Police, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the syndicate was busted during investigating a case of kidnapping and armed robbery reported on January 15, 2023.
Following the report of kidnapping and armed robbery, police operatives on Friday 12th of May travelled to the Kano State and successfully effected the arrest of one Abdullahi Ibrahim. Iringe-Koko said: “In the process, the team recovered a Black 2010 Toyota Matrix with Registration number SPR 283 TA, and a Blue 2008 Toyota Camry with Registration number ABC 49 AT, both believed to have been snatched or stolen from Port Harcourt.
“Consequent upon the arrest, the Police Operatives successfully trailed and arrested his co-conspirators, Tamunor Kubie Okari, 23, from Okrika in Rivers State, Vincent Kobani, 20, from Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, and Monima George, 22, from Buguma in Asari Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.
“Three locally made pistols and two live cartridges were recovered from Vincent Kobani upon his arrest at Victoria Street, Port Harcourt.
“The suspects confessed to the crime and described how they forcefully snatched the said Toyota Matrix from one of their victims and thereafter withdrew the sum of N209,000 using his GT Bank ATM card.”
The command in another development, the sequel to an earlier arrest of a suspected kidnapper who kidnapped his victim and her daughter on Saturday, April 15, 2023, Operatives of the C4i Intelligence Unit raided an apartment on Plot 34 Lonpry Street, Trans Amadi.
In the process, one AK47 rifle with Breach No. 0637, three magazines loaded with thirty rounds of live ammunition each, two long single-barreled guns, and one live cartridge were recovered.
Similarly, following on an earlier arrest of a member of an armed robbery and car snatching syndicate, on Monday, 8th May 2023, Rivers State Police Operatives proceeded on investigation activities to Abuja, Nasarawa, and Gombe states, where they nabbed five suspects, believed to be responsible for theft of cars in the state, and the sale of those stolen vehicles.
They include one Shehu Shagari, 33 from Kaduna South, Kaduna State who is a major receiver of stolen vehicles from one Hamisu Babangida, who is based in Port Harcourt, and a direct receiver from one Tamuno Kobiye, aka Okorobo, a suspected armed robber who is a native of Okrika and who has been convicted and imprisoned severally on similar offences.
One Ibrahim Abubakar, 37, of Kala LGA in Bornu State confessed that he bought one Prado Jeep from Shehu Shagari at the rate of N5m and re-sold the same to one Alhaji Abdullahi, a Cameroonian.
The same operation led to the arrest of one Nuhu Ahmed, 30, and Abdullahi, 30, both from Yola South LGA of Adamawa State.
Exhibits recovered include a cash sum of N2 million which was sent for the purchase of a stolen Toyota Corolla; one Acura Jeep with Reg. No. PBT 10 JP registered on the name Mrs. Rebecca Mioko, a resident of Rivers State.
