Kidnappers who rape female victims, 21 other suspects arrested in Rivers

The suspects paraded by the Rivers Police Commissioner, Eboka Friday

*CP Eboka vows to turn heat on criminals in Rivers

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

The Police in Rivers on Friday paraded 27 suspects arrested during recent operations by operatives of the Command.

The suspects include five alleged kidnappers who specialized in raping their female victims.

Rivers Commissioner of Police, Mr Eboka Friday told journalists at the Police headquarters in Port Harcourt that operatives of the Command’s anti-kidnapping unit arrested the suspects following a tip-off.

Weapons recovered from the suspects paraded by the Rivers Police Commissioner, Eboka Friday

According to him, luck ran out of the suspects when they  kidnapped one Grace Gomba who was rescued by the Police after four days in  captivity.

While giving further breakdown of the arrests,  the Commissioner of Police further revealed that on the 27 of June, acting on credible information on the nefarious activities of cultists operating in Mile 2 Diobu, Port Harcourt, Operatives of “Octupus Strike Force” stormed their camp at Okwelle Waterfront, when they were about to initiate new members.

However,  some of the suspected cultists escaped through the River on sighting the police, while five of them were arrested.

Also on 23 of June, Operatives of Anti-Cultism Unit of the Command, while on routine Patrol responded to a distress call, where a birthday party was going on and while partying, one Prince Nwonodi armed with a pump action rifle stormed the venue and disrupted the party.

Rivers Police Commissioner, Eboka Friday speaking during parade of the suspects

He was immediately arrested and confessed ownership of the Joleef Magnum Pump Action gun.

Details provided by the police commissioner showed that  6 suspected cultists, 27 suspected kidnappers, 3 armed robbery suspects

were arrested while 14 guns, 135 cartridges, 6 magazines, 362 ammunition, 2 vehicles, 4 machetes,  and assorted charms were recovered from the suspects.