The Rivers State Police Command says its operatives have arrested one of their personnel, Bright Oke, for alleged armed robbery and car snatching.
The command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this to journalists in Port Harcourt, the state capital on Thursday.
Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police said the police corporal who had already been dismissed, along with three of his accomplices snatched a Toyota Corolla car at the Gateway area of Ada George in Port Harcourt before they were intercepted by men of the C4i Intelligence Unit.
She said, “On Thursday, May 18, 2023, at about 11pm, men of the C4i Intelligence Team, while on a routine patrol, became suspicious of a Toyota Corolla 2005 model with number plate BNY 741 FV along Ada George Road, Port Harcourt, which aligned with an earlier intelligence the team had received.
“The team members gave a hot chase and eventually intercepted the vehicle.
“Three armed robbers, Corporal Bright Okey (a policeman), Samuel Charles and Michael Nwachukwu, were arrested while one member of the gang escaped.
“In the course of detailed investigation, it was discovered that the four armed robbers robbed a victim (name withheld) in a bid to snatch his Toyota Corolla 2005 model with number plate BNY 741 FV grey colour at gunpoint around Apostolic Church Gateway, Port Harcourt.
“The suspects confessed to the crime, while the policeman, Bright Okey, has been tried and dismissed upon conclusion of the investigation in line with police internal procedures.”
She said the dismissed cop would be charged to court along with his accomplices.
“Exhibits recovered from them include one single barrel locally made gun with one live cartridge, a grey Toyota Corolla Car 2005 model,” Iringe-Koko added.
Similarly, the police spokesperson said operatives attached to the Commissioner of Police Monitoring Unit on July 8, 2023, based on the revelation of two suspects earlier arrested in a case of child trafficking, extended the investigation to Omudiaga in the Emohua Local Government Area of the state and Ogbaku in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.