The Rivers State Police Command has announced the recovery of eight explosive devices and about 8,000 rounds of ammunition, alongside the arrest of 33 suspects linked to crimes ranging from cultism and armed robbery to kidnapping and human trafficking.
Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, disclosed this during a joint security briefing in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
He said the breakthrough was achieved through coordinated efforts with the Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Defence, the Department of State Services and other security stakeholders.
Adepoju revealed that the clampdown, which spanned January to August, intensified during the State of Emergency in the state, leading to the bust of several high-profile crimes.
Among those arrested, he said, were cultists accused of murdering a Port Harcourt-based lawyer, Bright Owhor, and siphoning funds from his bank account after seizing his ATM card.
The commissioner listed the suspects in the lawyer’s murder as Prince Samuel, 30; Daniel Godwin, 25; Henry Peter, 24; Godfrey Emmanuel, a.k.a Ibu, 30; Chukwu Nneji, 34; Justice Dimkpa, 27; and Promise Wikere, 22. He also confirmed the arrest of oil vandals in Khana Local Government Area, identified as Joseph Nsukpe, 38; James Nkpogio, 20; Godspower Ngbam, 28; Happy Mdor, 27; and Apolebabari Ibede, 35.
Recovered items include three GXI dynamites, 21 AK-47 rifles, 66 locally-made guns, eight revolvers, 10 English-made pistols, two sub-machine guns, two GMPs, one Lar rifle, 115 vehicles, 34 pump-action guns, two Dane guns, four magazines, 67 cartridges, 15 conventional ammunition, four locally-made pistols, seven rounds of 9mm ammunition, and two live cartridges.
Adepoju commended the collaboration among security agencies, describing the operations as part of a broader strategy to dismantle criminal networks and restore public confidence in law enforcement, especially ahead of the forthcoming local government elections.
He appealed to residents to support security agencies with credible information, assuring that the command remained committed to the protection of lives and property across the state.