The frosty relationship between the Rivers State government and the police during the tenure of former Governor Rotimi Amaechi has thawed, opening another vista of success for the police, and opening a window of hope for residents.
In the days of Amaechi, police work was hampered by the intrusion of politics, and past commissioners of police (CP) were always at loggerheads with him.
This led to the spiraling crime, such as cult activities, kidnapping, child theft, armed robbery, among others. Port Harcourt was a city under siege with a demoralised police, while crime changed forms and patterns.
Drift halted
The drift was arrested with the arrival of a new administration of Governor Nyesom Wike and a new CP, Chris Ezike, who picked up the gauntlet and swooped on criminals.
Ezike, who has spent less than two months in the state, disclosed that people now recruit others to kidnap for them, soldiers are involved in armed robbery, youths steal children, kidnappers kill victims and still demand ransom.
Parade of 327 criminals
Last month, the police paraded over 200 alleged criminals comprising men and women, some of them teenagers.
Ezike said three of them allegedly kidnapped one Friday Ozogo in Elekahia on the outskirts of Port Harcourt, and alleged killed and buried him in a shallow, yet collected over N500,000 from his family and were still asking for more before they were arrested.
He said Kevin Ogbulaon (22), Chinwendu Akani (20), and Nelson Kacaranmoh (23), confessed to the crime and took the police where they buried Ozogo at Choba waterfront.
More bizarre is the arrest of one Elijah Owoh who, on interrogation, admitted to be a private in the Army with service number 12NA/68/7580–93 of 231 Battalion, Biu and on away without leave (AWOL).
Ezike said Owoh hid an AK47 riffle with its 90 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition in three magazines in the forest around Eneka on the outskirts of Port Harcourt.
Police officers rescued one kidnap victim, E.O. Daniel, a lawyer, after his captors had been paid N1 million ransom.
Ezike also paraded about 127 suspects allegedly involved in various crimes in Port Harcourt.
They included 45 armed robbery suspects, eight alleged kidnappers, and 74 alleged cult members.
Recovered were various arms ranging from pump action guns, AK47 riffles, locally made pistols, double barrel guns, different sizes of magazines and ammunition.
Ezike recalled that on assumption of office, kidnapping, cult activities, homicide, and armed robbery were on the increase.
Ezike’s pledge
“In my inaugural address of July 2, 2015,” he recounted, “I said my focus would be to provide qualitative service to the people of the state, fight violent crime with vigour, partner with other security services and non state actors, respect the rights of citizens, abhor corrupt practices, promote professionalism, and secure the state.
“On July 7, a three-man armed robbery gang operating with black Highlander jeep was intercepted by the police along Rumuobiakani after robbing a man of over N2 million withdrawn from a bank.
“In the ensuing encounter, one of the robbers was arrested with bullet wounds. His accomplices escaped but their operational vehicle was recovered and when searched, two AK47 rifles with four magazines loaded with 92 rounds of 9.62mm ammunition as well as the robbed money were recovered.”
Ezike said within 24 days of assumption of duty, the SARS team arrested 45 suspected armed robbers, recovered seven AK47 rifles, one SMG, three pump action guns, 18 locally made guns, 20 magazines with over 400 rounds of ammunition and 69 cartridges, and 26 vehicles.
Government support
He made his latest show of criminal haul in the presence of acting Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Uche Secondus, who accompanied Wike to police headquarters one Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.
He said the achievements recorded so far were with the support of the government and people of the state, adding that more policemen have been deployed to the streets to help check crime.
Wike commended the commitment of Ezike.
”Our partnership with the police is yielding positive reports. We have agreed with the police that we have to take the anti-crime war to the doorsteps of the criminals.
“We will give the state police all necessary assistance to overcome the criminals,” he said.