The Rivers State Police Command says it has arrested four suspected members of a criminal gang allegedly involved in armed robbery and kidnapping, with six firearms and 58 rounds of live ammunition recovered during the operation.
The command said the arrests followed an intelligence-driven operation in Rumuekpe, Emohua Local Government Area, on October 4, 2026, and the subsequent arrest of one of the suspects in Owerri, Imo State.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, identified the suspects as Chinemerem Uchewo, Michael Ishaka, Abdulahi George and Gideon Okah.
The police said preliminary investigations had linked the suspects to reported cases of armed robbery and kidnapping in Choba, Elele Alimini, Emohua and Rumuekpe communities.
According to the statement, the suspects also confessed to the killing of Joseph Onyeka during a robbery in Rumuji Community on July 23, 2026, and the shooting of a police officer, Inspector Womoma at a police checkpoint along the East-West Road near Elele Alimini Junction on August 4, 2026.
The firearms recovered include two AK-47 rifles, two pump-action guns, an English-made double-barrel rifle and a locally made revolver pistol.
The command said it is pursuing other suspected members of the gang, while Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Adepoju praised the officers involved for their courage and professionalism.
Adepoju said the command would continue intelligence-led operations and investigations to disrupt criminal networks and recover illegal weapons.
He warned suspected criminals and their associates to “desist from committing crime, noting that the Command will leave no stone unturned in bringing perpetrators of armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes to justice.”
The police commissioner also called on residents to report suspicious activities promptly, assuring them that information supplied to the command would be treated confidentially.
Police arrest four suspected robbers, recover six fire arms in Rivers