Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Rivers State Police Command has arrested 18 suspected criminals, including a 49‑year‑old man posing as a soldier, and recovered 47 firearms in a major crackdown on violent crime conducted between June and August 2026. The State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, who paraded the suspects and displayed the recovered items before journalists on Thursday, August 13, at the command’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, said the operation marked a significant breakthrough in the fight against murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and vehicle theft across the state.
The 49‑year‑old fake soldier, identified as Andrew Atausi, was arrested on August 10, 2026, along Ada George Road in Port Harcourt. Atausi was dressed in military camouflage and driving a Toyota Hilux painted in army colours when operatives, who had been tracking him, swooped in. He was allegedly involved in car snatching. In addition to the 47 firearms recovered, the command also seized 12 stolen vehicles, 102 rounds of live ammunition, five live cartridges, and 11 cutlasses.
One of the command’s major breakthroughs was the arrest of three suspects linked to the murder of two police officers who were on stop‑and‑search duty at Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Area on June 29, 2026. The attackers killed two officers, wounded others, and amputated one officer’s leg before escaping with two AK‑47 rifles. The suspects, identified as Maduabuchi Emeka, 34, the alleged gang leader; Chinedu Owhor, 42; and Kamachi Joe, 28, the gang’s armourer, were arrested by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit. During interrogation, the suspects confessed and led police to their hideout in Omagwa, where the two stolen AK‑47 rifles were recovered. Police are still tracking a fourth suspect linked to the attack.
In a separate operation, police arrested five members of a kidnapping syndicate operating in Oyigbo Local Government Area. The suspects, identified as Ezekiel Emmanuel, 44; Chukwuma Mbanefor, 51; Nicholas Diala, 65; and two others, confessed to carrying out kidnappings in Kom‑Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities. On July 27, 2026, two more suspects linked to the same network – Anele Ogbogu, 35, the gang’s armourer, and Kenneth Eke, 38 – were arrested, with an AK‑47 rifle and an SMG rifle recovered from them.
On July 26, 2026, following a complaint from a woman in Bonny, police arrested Boma Dienye Allison, 35, for allegedly threatening his wife with a firearm. A search of his premises led to the recovery of two Beretta pistols, 97 rounds of live ammunition and one live cartridge. Further investigation led to the arrest of Dagogo Abusi, 30, and Richard Tolofari, 33. Additionally, on July 21, police arrested Daddy Aleelo, 40, and Destiny Tor‑ue, 22, recovering one locally made cut‑to‑size pistol from them.
Two suspected members of a “one‑chance” robbery syndicate, Uche Samwe, 45, and Nkechi Amadi, 42, were also arrested and confessed to their involvement in the crime. The commissioner urged members of the public to promptly report such incidents to the police to help identify the methods used by these syndicates and the areas where they operate.
Adepoju said the achievements were part of the command’s efforts to rid the state of criminal elements through intelligence‑led and proactive policing. The command also intensified intelligence‑led and community‑oriented policing to dismantle criminal networks operating in Rivers State. The police urged residents to continue providing credible information to assist in preventing crime and protecting communities.
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