The Police Command in Rivers State says it has arrested one Elijah Owoh, an army Private, who was said to have absconded from his duty post in Biu, Borno State, for alleged armed robbery.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Chris Ezike, while parading nine other suspects before newsmen, on Monday, said the soldier shot and killed a male victim during a robbery operation.
“Owoh, during investigation, confessed his involvement in a robbery incident in which a male victim was murdered around Eneka Farm Road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
“He admitted being a army Private with service number 12NA/68/7580-93 of 231 Battalion, Biu, adding that he fled the fight against insurgents in the North-East without official approval.”
Ezike said an AK-47 rifle with 90 rounds of ammunition in three magazines, a Mercedes Benz car with fake registration number, Lagos MS 301 KJA, were recovered from the suspect.
In another case, Ezike said policemen trailed and arrested a gang of three armed men around Elekahia, Port Harcourt, who specialised in kidnapping and killing of their victims.
He said the gang had, on July 5, abducted one Friday Ozogo, who killed and buried their victim in a shallow grave around Choba waterfront in the state.
“Unfortunately, despite their callous actions, the kidnappers continued to harass the victim’s family for ransom, and have collected over N500,000 before police tracked them down.
“The victim’s corpse has been exhumed and taken to the mortuary for autopsy, while positive identification has been confirmed by the family.”
The commissioner said that two locally made pistols and 7.62mm ammunitions were recovered from the suspects.
Similarly, Ezike said his men had apprehended a notorious kidnap kingpin while trying to collect ransom from relations of a lawyer who was abducted on July 21 in Eleme, Rivers State.
He said that through the arrest, the police rescued the kidnapped lawyer and arrested two other members of the gang which included a suspected witch doctor.
“During interrogation, the kidnappers revealed that they were contracted to execute the job for N1 million, and were given 20 per cent mobilisation fee.”
According to Ezike, one locally made revolver with six rounds of ammunition was recovered from the suspects.
The police also paraded four women and two male teenagers for their alleged involvement and conspiracy in the theft of a seven-month-old baby girl who was stolen from her home.
“The suspects confessed to have conspired and sneaked through a broken window at night and quietly stole the child at her parent’s home at Mile 2, Diobu, Port Harcourt.
“The baby was taken to Nekede, in Imo state, and sold for N200,000 to one Nkechi Anyanwu, 45, while two female accomplices of Anyanwu who resides in Owerri were equally arrested.
“The child’s mother, Mrs Rose Friday, had earlier reported the child’s abduction from her residence at the Mile One Police station,” he said.
