Police Arrest 18 Suspects, Recover 47 Firearms and 12 Stolen Vehicles

The Rivers State Police Command has arrested 18 suspected criminals and recovered 47 firearms, 12 stolen vehicles and other dangerous weap...

The Rivers State Police Command has arrested 18 suspected criminals and recovered 47 firearms, 12 stolen vehicles and other dangerous weapons during operations carried out across the state between June and August 2026. The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, disclosed this on Thursday while parading some of the suspects and displaying the recovered exhibits at the command’s headquarters on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt. According to the commissioner, the command also recovered 102 rounds of live ammunition, five live cartridges, 11 cutlasses and an axe during the operations. Among those arrested were suspects linked to kidnapping, armed robbery, one-chance robbery, cultism and car snatching. Three suspects were also arrested in connection with the June 29 attack on police officers carrying out stop-and-search duties in Aluu, Ikwerre Local Government Area. Adepoju said the attack led to the death of two police officers, while others were injured and one officer lost a leg. Two AK-47 rifles were also stolen during the incident. He said operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, VCRU-AKU, arrested three suspected members of the gang: 34-year-old Maduabuchi Emeka, identified as the gang leader; 42-year-old Chinedu Owhor; and 28-year-old Kamachi Joe, who was allegedly the gang’s armourer. The suspects reportedly led the police to their hideout in Omagwa, where the two stolen AK-47 rifles were recovered. The police said efforts were ongoing to arrest another member of the gang. The command also arrested members of a suspected kidnapping syndicate operating in Oyigbo Local Government Area. According to Adepoju, the suspects confessed to kidnapping activities in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities. Further arrests were made on July 27, including Anele Ogbogu, 35, who was allegedly the syndicate’s armourer, and Kenneth Eke, 38. Police said an AK-47 rifle and an SMG rifle were recovered from the suspects. In another operation, police arrested Boma Dienye Allison, 35, following a complaint that he allegedly threatened his wife with a firearm. A search of his residence reportedly led to the recovery of two Beretta pistols, 97 rounds of live ammunition and one live cartridge. Two other suspects, Dagogo Abusi, 30, and Richard Tolofari, 33, were subsequently arrested. The command also arrested Daddy Aleelo, 40, and Destiny Tor-ue, 22, on July 21. Police said they recovered a locally made pistol, a double-barrel pump-action gun and five live cartridges from the suspects. Two suspected members of a one-chance robbery syndicate, Uche Samuel, 45, and Nkechi Amadi, 42, were also arrested and reportedly confessed to their involvement in criminal activities. One of the major arrests was that of 49-year-old Andrew Atausi, who was apprehended on August 10 along the Ada George axis of Port Harcourt. According to the police, Atausi was dressed in military uniform and driving a Toyota Hilux painted in Army colours when he was intercepted by operatives acting on credible intelligence. Adepoju said the suspect confessed during interrogation that he was not a member of the Armed Forces. Further investigation allegedly linked him to a series of car-snatching incidents. Police said three Toyota Hilux vehicles without registration numbers and a Toyota Corona Premio with registration number BNY 380 ES were recovered from him. The police also alleged that the chassis and engine numbers of the vehicles had been tampered with. An axe and military accoutrements were also recovered from the suspect. The Commissioner of Police assured residents that the command would continue to use intelligence-led, proactive and community-oriented policing to tackle crime across Rivers State. He added that the police were working with the military, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other relevant stakeholders to improve security in the state. Adepoju also urged parents and guardians to closely monitor their children and warn them against cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery and internet fraud. He assured residents that the police would continue to pursue suspected criminals, dismantle criminal networks, recover illegal weapons and ensure that suspects were prosecuted according to the law.