Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested a suspect after recovering a Browning pistol concealed inside a loaf of bread during a routine stop-and-search operation in Port Harcourt.
The command’s spokesperson, ASP Blessing Agabe, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Friday, saying the recovery was made along the Azikiwe Road axis near Red Cross Junction.
According to Agabe, officers intercepted a vehicle during a routine security check and conducted a thorough search of the occupants.
During the operation, a Browning pistol hidden inside a loaf of bread was allegedly recovered from a passenger identified as Braya Nanas, a resident of New Road, Borikiri, Port Harcourt.
She stated that preliminary investigations revealed that the firearm had no visible serial number, raising suspicion about its origin.
The police spokesperson added that the suspect allegedly admitted ownership of the weapon and told investigators he purchased it in Okrika for ₦800,000.
Agabe said the firearm had been taken into police custody while investigations continued to determine its source and whether it had been linked to any criminal activities.
Reacting to the arrest, the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Olugbenga Adepoju, urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious persons, items and activities to security agencies.
He noted that the discovery of a firearm concealed inside a loaf of bread highlighted the increasingly sophisticated methods adopted by criminal elements to evade detection.
Adepoju also warned members of the public against accepting, transporting or keeping packages whose contents they could not verify, stressing that such actions could unintentionally aid criminal activities.
The police commissioner reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating crime and appealed to residents to support law enforcement agencies with timely and credible intelligence to enhance security across the state.