The Rivers State Police Command said its operatives had busted a criminal organisation that used tricycles known as ‘Keke’ to rob victims and perpetrate other crimes in Port Harcourt and its surroundings.
According to the command, 14 individuals were arrested in connection with the crime, including a female, and are assisting police in their investigation.
Grace Iringe-Koko, spokesperson for the State Police Command, confirmed this in a statement on Thursday, adding that some of the suspects were active in the city and surrounding states.
Iringe-Koko stated that the feat followed a recent order from the state Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, to all divisions and tactical units to crack down on these offenders.
While noting that the apprehended defendants, who are mostly in their early twenties and thirties, typically committed these offences between March and July.
The statement reads, “On April 4, 2024, the Rivers State Police Command arrested a four-man gang specialized in terrorising residents in various parts of the state, especially Eliozu, and Rumuodara in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, this gang posed as drivers or commuters of tricycles (Keke Napep) to rob innocent citizens of their valuables starting from 7 pm daily.
“In a bid to rob a victim of her belongings, two of them were arrested by the Elimgbu Division; Arinze Onovo, 32 from Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State and Bright Okere, 29, a native of Ndoki Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State. Exhibits recovered are one tricycle and one kitchen knife.”
She stated that attempts were ongoing to apprehend the remaining gang members and recover their operating weapons.
“On March 8, 2024, operatives of the command while on a routine patrol along Igbo/Etche in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State intercepted one Terry Monday ‘M’ aged 22, a native of Akwa Ibom State and Chile Sunday, 24, a native of Abia State.
“They confessed to belonging to a gang resident in Abia State who constantly stole tricycles in Rivers State and diverted them to Abia for sale. They were in the process of diverting a stolen tricycle when they were apprehended.”
Continuing, the state police image maker said the Anti-kidnapping unit of the command received a complaint on 10th June, 2024, from a man identified as Olisa Chukwu and some members of National Union Task Force for tricycle riders, claiming to be the owner of the recovered tricycle.
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“After discreet investigations, it was revealed that the documents of the Keke bore a different name from the declared owner.
“The police continued investigations and proceeded to arrest one Nnamdi Eze, 27, a native of Ezza-South LGA of Ebonyi State, who confessed to the crime that he was the driver of an armed robbery gang at Rumuokoro and Eliozu axis of Obio/Akpor LGA of Rivers State. Investigations are still ongoing,” she said.
Disu encouraged the command’s personnel for their efforts to make the streets of Port Harcourt and its surrounds safer, and urged them not to give up in the fight against all types of crime.
