POLICE in Rivers State say they have arrested five suspects in connection with recent robberies in the state capital.
Briefing newsmen yesterday, the state Deputy Commissioner of Police, Basil Inyang, said the success was recorded after a Joint Team Patrol (JTF) stormed a criminal hideout in Okorchiri, Okrika weekend for bandits.
He said in an exchange of gunfire with the hoodlums, four were shot dead while five others were arrested. One of those injured, he said, died on the way to the hospital.
He explained that the JTF had to storm the town based on an intelligence report that most of the robberies in Port Harcourt were carried out by hoodlums from the area. The Deputy Police Commissioner in the state gave a list of the items recovered during the raid to include: one AK 47 riffles, pump action rifle, two single barrel guns, 1034 rounds of MM live ammunition, live cartridges, ten Motorola walkie talkies, ten pairs of military uniforms and others.
Before parading the items to newsmen. the Police chief gave a rundown of some of the robberies. According to him, the bandits were behind the raid at banks in Onne, Hospital road, Trans Amadi road and several companies, including Agip Oil Company in January.
He regretted that the same group attacked his men on a sea patrol about three weeks ago and killed six of them. Assuring that the police would not relent in its security responsibility to the state and the nation, the Deputy Police Commissioner enjoined residents of the state to supply information that would enable police function effectively in the state. He reminded the people that security matters were not a duty for the police alone. He also declared the leader of a notorious gang in the area wanted.
On efforts to address the problem of robbery in army uniform, the army PRO, Major Sagir Musa who was also present during the briefing told Vanguard that plans were on to put a final stop to it. He ruled out involvement of the military in the whole criminal exercise. According to him, no soldier would give out his uniform for a fee.