Fatshimetrie: Criminals target public transport users in Port Harcourt, Nigeria
The city of Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State in Nigeria, was recently the scene of a series of attacks perpetrated by thugs posing as tricycle and taxi drivers. These thugs deliberately target public transport users, sowing terror among residents of the region.
The attacks caused great concern among the population and prompted a rapid response from law enforcement. Police spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, told journalists at a conference in Port Harcourt that the arrests followed growing concern over increasingly frequent attacks on public transport commuters. . She highlighted that armed robbers were disguising themselves as tricycle and taxi drivers to fraudulently target innocent members of the public.
This prompted the Rivers Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, to issue strong instructions to dismantle the criminal network. This directive led to the arrest of a gang of four on April 4, operating mainly in Eliozu and Rumuodara in the Obio/Akpor region. They pose as drivers or passengers of tricycles to rob citizens.
During a patrol at Mummy B Road in Port Harcourt, the law enforcement officers intercepted a tricycle with four occupants which escaped in full view of the police team. Inside the tricycle were two homemade pistols, two live cartridges, a spent cartridge, a dagger, a Bluetooth radio and tramadol pills.
Additionally, during a traffic stop, officers stopped a black Mazda vehicle with three occupants. One of the passengers, Solomon Gabriel, said they were part of a criminal network operating in and around Port Harcourt.
The success of the operations did not stop there, as another gang of one-chance criminals from Aba, notorious for assaulting passengers in the state, were also apprehended. Emeka Eze, Adaeze Nwamara and Chika Nwangwa had earlier robbed a woman in a green Toyota Carina car, stealing her phone to withdraw money from her bank account.
Police also identified and arrested six other suspects operating in Obio/Akpor, Etche and Ahoada sectors between March and July. These arrests made it possible to put several members of organized criminal gangs out of harm’s way, thus helping to strengthen the security of residents in the region.
These police operations demonstrate the authorities’ commitment to fighting crime and protecting citizens from the activities of organized gangs. Cooperation between law enforcement agencies and the local community is essential to ensure the safety of citizens and maintain public order in the city of Port Harcourt.