CRIME
Police Rescue Lagos-Port Harcourt Bound kidnapped Passengers
From Alice Onukwugha, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Police Command, said it has rescued five passengers kidnapped on their way from Lagos to Port Harcourt at the Emohua axis of the state last weekend.
This Police also informed that the Command arrested notorious armed robbers, who were terrorising the Ahoada axis of the East West Road.
Rivers State Police Commissioner, Emeka Nwonyi, made this known to journalists, during a press briefing on recent successes recorded by the command in its fight against crime in the state, yesterday.
“On Saturday, August 19, 2023, at about 0215 hrs, a police operative attached to Rumuji Division received information from a driver to a Transport Company Limited, Lagos, that a Sienna bus with reg.
no. JJJ 179 JA, that at about 0130hrs of August 19, 2023, while en-route from Lagos to Port Harcourt with five passengers, on getting to Rumuodogo Junction in Emohua Local Government Area, some hoodlums blocked his vehicle and abducted the five passengers.“The DPO Rumuji Division mobilized patrol teams to the scene while carrying out a search in the nearby forest and rescued five of the kidnapped victims and have reunite with their family members”, he said.
CP Nwonyi, informed that during the period under review, operatives of the and also rescued other kidnap victims, neutralised two suspected kidnappers and recovered arms.
“The Rivers State Police Operative, on Wednesday 16/8/2023 at about 0520hrs, received a piece of information that two men were seen around River Ebuguma. Operatives immediately went to the area, on sighting the Police, hoodlums took to their heels. While the kidnapped victims were rescued. The two victims were debriefed and have reunited with their family members.
“Operatives of the Command on Tuesday, 15/08/2023 at about 0100hrs based on the intelligence gathered, arrested one Nwanaka Future Nwokoma ‘m’, and one Gift Eze ‘m’, a.k.a. Aru-Ojo, all of the Akala-Olu Community Ahoada, who specialized in robbing innocent people along East-West Road and its environs. One English Pump Action was recovered from them, they all confessed to the crime and stated further that they are general Dangerboy/Chiefo of Embrass Forest foot soldiers.
“Police Operatives on Friday, 18/8/23 at about 2100hrs following an incessant manhunt of cultists terrorizing Ahoada East/West Local Government Area by one General Silas ‘M’ of Odiereke Ubie Community Ahoada West Local Government Area, surrender Two Pump Action Guns; One Automatic and One Manual. An effort is seriously in motion to clamp down on other cultists for the possible recovery of more arms and ammunition in their unlawful possession.
‘Police Operatives led by Commander Rapid Response Team (RRT), on 18/08/2023 at about 1818hrs and HAWK Teams conducted a joint operation at Agbonchia/Oyigbo axis of Rivers State, where one (named withheld) earlier once kidnapped was rescued unhurt.
The victim was kidnapped on the 17/08/2023 at the Rumuagholu, off SARS Road, by four armed men. The victim has been debriefed and reunited with his family.
“Police Operatives of the Command, on Thursday 17/08/2023 about 2030hrs rescued one victim (name withheld) of Rumuokwachi Ogbogoro Port Harcourt who was kidnapped by four armed men inside a Toyota Corolla with reg. No Rivers RGM 411 EG at the same address.
Upon receiving the information, a patrol team was dispatched to the scene where the kidnappers were given a hot chase with the assistance of OSPAC vigilante. The victim was rescued unhurt.
“One suspect was arrested, two of the kidnappers was neutralized during gun duel. One Toyota Corolla and a locally made pistol were recovered.
The CP, who reiterated that curbing crime in society is a collective job, said efforts are on to arrest fleeing suspects, while calling on residents of the state to be open and supportive of security operatives in fighting crime and criminality.
CRIME
Enugu Police Bust Armed Robbery Operation, Arrest Suspect, Recover Arms
From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu
The Enugu State Police Command has sustained its onslaught against criminal activities during the Yuletide season with the arrest of a male armed robbery suspect and the recovery of an imitation firearm and ammunition.
The suspect, one Oshim Lambert Chimuanya (male, aged 28), was arrested on 13th December 2025 at about 11:30 p.
m. while attempting to rob members of the public around Agric Bank Bus Stop, Independence Layout, Enugu, following a prompt response to a distress call by operatives of the Command attached to the Independence Layout Police Division.In a statement sent by the Police public relations officer Enugu State command Daniel Ndukwe stated that Upon arrival at the scene, the operatives apprehended the suspect in the act of robbing an unsuspecting young man and recovered from him one revolver imitation (toy) pistol loaded with eight toy bullets.
The suspect is currently in custody and will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.The Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has charged operatives of the Command to sustain the momentum and continue to make Enugu State uninhabitable for unrepentant criminals during the festive season and beyond. He further enjoins citizens to continue to cooperate with the Police by providing timely and credible information that will aid crime prevention and detection.
CRIME
NDLEA Arrests Fleeing Bandits’ Drug Supplier in Niger
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a notorious supplier of illicit drugs to bandits operating in the area of Kuta, Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger state.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said that the suspect was nabbed three weeks after escaping arrest at his home.
He said that NDLEA operatives had on Nov.
20 raided his house at Anguwan Makera, Kuta, where they recovered 471.8 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis.“Though he escaped arrest during the raid and has since been in hiding, the manhunt for him eventually paid off on Thursday, Dec.
11.“This was when NDLEA officers acting on processed intelligence traced and arrested him at one of his drug joints in Anguwan Fadama, Kuta.
“Intelligence reports had indicated that the suspect is a major supplier of illicit drugs to bandits operating in Shiroro local government area,” he said.
Meanwhile, NDLEA officers in Abia on Thursday, Dec. 11 raided a clandestine codeine syrup-manufacturing factory at Amapu Igbengwo village, Umuakpara, in Osisioma LGA of the state.
Babafemi said that during the operation, operatives recovered a total of 9,015 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 1,152.2kg.
Also, in Enugu state, operatives on Thursday, Dec. 11 arrested another suspect along Onitsha – Enugu Ezike road with 7.2kg skunk.
Babafemi said that another suspect was nabbed along Enugu-Ezike -Ette road with 94.6kg of the same psychoactive substance.
“A raid carried out by NDLEA operatives at a notorious drug joint known as “Beere the California” at Ido in Oyo state on Thursday, Dec. 11 led to the seizure of 3.4kg skunk.
“Others are 1.6kg Colorado, a synthetic cannabis and 400grams of methamphetamine. The owner of the drug joint identified currently at large while a suspect was nabbed at the joint.
“Another operation at Idi Oro, Elekuro, Ibadan on Friday, Dec. 12 led to the arrest of Olusanya Abosede, 35, and the seizure of 238.4kg skunk,” he said.
In the same vein, two suspects were arrested on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at Gbaji checkpoint, Seme road Badagry, Lagos with 50,000 pills of tramadol 250mg.
Babafemi said that NDLEA operatives in Ogun state arrested another two suspects with 73kg skunk at Iperu, adding that a suspect was nabbed with 25kg of the same substance at Oke Agbede, Imeko area of the state on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
“In Ondo state, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence on Monday, Dec. 8 raided a compound in Ogbese, Akure North local government area, where they arrested a 55-year-old woman and her 29-year-old son.
“The NDLEA operatives also recovered 1,187 kilograms of skunk and its seeds from them,” he said.
Similarly, a suspect was arrested during a raid operation at Uroe community, Owan East LGA of Edo state, where 461kg skunk and its seeds were recovered on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
Babafemi said in Gombe state, a suspect was arrested with 40,000 capsules of tramadol at Tunfure area, adding that two other suspects were nabbed at Ashaka Jalingo, with 56kg skunk on Monday, Dec. 8.
Meanwhile, no fewer than 907 pills of tramadol, tapentadol, cocodamol, amitriptyline and bromazepam were intercepted and seized by NDLEA operatives at two major courier companies in Lagos.
Babafemi said that the drugs were concealed in containers of local black soap, and designer wears, in six different consignments going to the US, Canada and Sweden.
He said that the drugs were seized between Tuesday, Dec. 9 and Wed, Dec. 9 respectively.
Also, at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, NDLEA officers on Saturday, Dec. 13 intercepted a consignment of 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 23,579kg during a joint examination of a container with men of Customs Service and other security agencies.
In like manner, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitisation activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
This, he said included WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Community Senior Secondary School, Sheme, Katsina; Government College, Tudun Wada Dankade, Kano; and Methodist High School, Makurdi, Benue.
Babafemi said that the Enugu state command of the Agency paid a WADA advocacy visit to HRM Igwe Ikechukwu Samuel Asadu, Chairman, Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers.
The NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa has commended the officers and men of DOGI, Niger, Abia, Oyo, Enugu, Seme, Ogun, Ondo, Gombe, Apapa and Edo Commands for the arrests, seizures and their dexterity.
Marwa enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.
CRIME
Mortuary Attendant in Police Net over Alleged Organ Harvesting in Edo
A mortuary attendant in the Upper Sakponba area of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo has landed in police net after allegations of missing vital organs from a corpse kept at Akugbe Mortuary.
This incident triggered a violent reaction from relatives of the deceased.
The situation reportedly escalated when angry family members and friends accused a mortuary attendant of harvesting organs from the body.
Relatives of the deceased were said to have raised alarm when they arrived at the mortuary on Friday to collect the body for burial and allegedly discovered that some vital organs were missing.
An eyewitness, Osaro Ivie, described the scene as chaotic, saying tempers flared after family members accused the attendant of engaging in ritual practices.
“The relatives claimed that the chest cavity of the deceased had been emptied and stuffed with nylon,” Ivie said.
He said the relatives threatened to lynch the attendant and set the facility ablaze before police operatives intervened to restore calm.
Confirming the incident on Sunday, ASP Eno Ikoedem, Public Relations Officer of the police command in Edo, said the command received a distress call that a mob was on the verge of attacking a suspect at the mortuary.
“The Command received a distress call that someone at Akugbe Mortuary was about to be lynched, and the Divisional Police Officer, Ugbekun Division, was immediately mobilised to rescue a mortuary attendant alleged to have harvested organs of a corpse,” Ikoedem said.
Ikoedem explained that the suspect was rescued from the crowd and subsequently to custody.
She added that he was currently being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), where investigations were ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the allegation.
Ikoedem assured the public that a thorough investigation would be conducted, urging residents to remain calm and allow due process to take its course.

