Police nab fake soldier, 17 others over criminal activities in Rivers

Police in Rivers State have apprehended 18 individuals involved in various criminal activities, confiscating 47 firearms and 12 stolen vehicles over a two-month period. The arrests, detailed by State Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Adepoju, target a range of offenses including car snatching, kidnapping, armed robbery, and cultism.

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Today, I will brief you on the significant operational achievements recorded by this command between June and August 2026.

Among those paraded was Andrew Atausi, a 49-year-old man found in military uniform driving a military-painted Toyota Hilux. He was arrested on August 10 in Port Harcourt. The police also presented three suspects linked to the murder of two officers on June 29 in Aluu. These suspects, identified as gang leader Maduabuchi Emeka, Chinedu Owhor, and armourer Kamachi Joe, confessed to the crime and led police to a hideout where two AK-47 rifles were recovered.

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On June 29, 2026, our officers on stop-and-search duty at Aluu Division were attacked. Two of our officers paid the supreme price, others were wounded, while one had his leg amputated. Two AK-47 rifles were carted away.

Further operations led to the arrest of five members of a kidnapping syndicate in Oyigbo Local Government Area, who admitted to carrying out kidnappings in several communities. The police also apprehended two more individuals from the same network, recovering an AK-47 rifle and an SMG rifle. Efforts are ongoing to capture the remaining syndicate members. The command's achievements highlight a significant crackdown on crime in the region.

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I directed our operatives to go after those responsible, in line with the initiative of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, in protecting lives and property and bringing all criminal elements to justice.