By Kamil Opeyemi
Operatives of Delta State police command have arrested one Nyero Sunday, 29yrs, of Okwitolo community alongside eight others all in Okpe LGA of the state.
The state’s PPRO, DSP Bright Edafe disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday saying that all the suspects were arrested based on technical intelligence.
According to him, all the arrested suspects have confessed to their involvement in numerous kidnapping/armed robbery operations.
He said further investigation led to the arrest of one Umar Bello, age 33yrs from Sokoto state but resides in Warri.
“He usually buys the stolen phones and other valuables robbed from their victims. A Toyota Corolla with Reg. No. WWR 353 LS, a locally made cut-to-size single barrel pistol, eleven (11) rounds of live cartridges, were recovered from the syndicate. Effort is on to arrest other fleeing suspects,” Edafe said.
“On 15/5/2023, at about 0015hrs, while police operatives of ‘B’ division Warri, led by the DPO SP Bolarinwa Alabi were on visibility/confidence building patrol along Airport road, they sighted a tricycle with three (3) male occupants, and in their usual way, flagged down the tricycle, but the rider on sighting the Police manoeuvre in a bid to escape, the operatives went after them until they eventually abandoned the tricycle and took to their heels.
“One of the suspects, named Nworie Emmanuel ‘m’ 20yrs, was arrested and taken to the police station. During interrogation, the suspect stated that he is a member of a three-man gang of armed robbers who uses a tricycle to rob innocent people of their belongings along Airport Road Warri.
“He also confessed that they have robbed two persons on that day along Airport road that the phone robbed was with Abdul, one of their fleeing gang members and that their modus operandi is to look out for their victims standing on a lonely road at night, and Abdul (currently at large) will jump down from the tricycle, use the knife to threaten their victim and rob them of their phones and other valuable.
“The tricycle, the knife they use to scare their victims are in custody alongside the suspect while effort is on to arrest the other fleeing members of the gang.”
In another development, the Command crack squad on Tuesday, 16th May 2023, raided a criminal blackspot located around Osuani in Patani LGA where one Priscilla Amor, aged 35yrs was arrested.
Items recovered according to the statement include twenty-six wraps of weed suspected to be Indian hemp, nineteen wraps of substance suspected to be Methamphetamine, eight packets of razlers, some mobile phones and other exhibits.
Edafe said that investigation had commenced to arrest her other gang members.