Police arrest fake soldier and 17 others for crimes in Rivers

The Rivers State Police Command has arrested 18 suspected criminals. This includes a fake soldier linked to car snatching. They also recovered 47 firearms from various locations in the state over the last two months.

In addition, police recovered 12 stolen vehicles, 102 rounds of live ammunition, five live cartridges, and 11 cutlasses during this time.

The State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, shared this information while showing some arrested suspects and displaying the recovered items at the command’s headquarters on Moscow Road in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

Among those paraded were suspects involved in kidnapping, one-chance robbery, armed robbery, and cultism. Three suspects are also linked to the murder of two police officers on stop-and-search duty on June 29 at Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Area.

Adepoju said the fake soldier, 49-year-old Andrew Atausi, was caught in military uniform. He was driving a Toyota Hilux painted in Army colors when police operatives arrested him on August 10 in the Ada George area of Port Harcourt.

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

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

“I directed our operatives to go after those responsible, in line with the initiative of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, to protect lives and property and bring all criminals to justice.

“I am glad to inform you that operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, VCRU-AKU, have arrested three members of that gang. They are Maduabuchi Emeka, 34, the gang leader; Chinedu Owhor, 42; and Kamachi Joe, 28, who is their armorer.

“During interrogation, they confessed and led us to their hideout at Omagwa, where we recovered the two stolen AK-47 rifles. We are still on the trail of the fourth suspect.

“We arrested five members of a kidnapping syndicate in Oyigbo Local Government Area. They are Ezekiel Emmanuel, 44; Chukwuma Mbanefor, 51; Nicholas Diala, 65; and two others. They confessed to kidnappings in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama, and Afam communities.

“On July 27, 2026, we arrested two more suspects from the same network: Anele Ogbogu, 35, the gang’s armorer, and Kenneth Eke, 38. We recovered one AK-47 rifle and one SMG rifle. Efforts are ongoing to catch other syndicate members.”

Adepoju added, “On July 26, 2026, following a complaint from Mrs Minna Boma of Bonny, our operatives arrested Boma Dienye Allison, 35, for allegedly threatening his wife with a firearm.

“A search of his home led to the recovery of two Beretta pistols, 97 rounds of live ammunition, and one live cartridge. Further investigation led to the arrest of Dagogo Abusi, 30, and Richard Tolofari, 33.

“On July 21, 2026, the command arrested Daddy Aleelo, 40, and Destiny Tor-ue, 22. We recovered one cut-to-size locally made pistol, one double-barrel pump-action gun, and five live cartridges from them. They confessed to several crimes.

“We also caught two members of a one-chance syndicate: Uche Samuel, 45, and Nkechi Amadi, 42. They have both confessed.

“On August 10, 2026, our operatives, using credible intelligence, intercepted and arrested Andrew Atausi, 49, along Ada George, Port Harcourt. He was dressed in military uniform and driving a Toyota Hilux painted in Army colors.

“During investigation, the suspect confessed that he is not a member of the Armed Forces. Further investigation revealed that he is a suspected serial car snatcher. We recovered three suspected stolen vehicles from him: three Toyota Hilux vehicles without registration numbers and one Toyota Corona Premio with registration number BNY 380 ES.

“The chassis and engine numbers of the recovered vehicles had been tampered with. We also found an axe and military items from the suspect.

“In total, we arrested 18 suspects and recovered 47 firearms of different calibers, 12 stolen vehicles, 102 rounds of live ammunition, an axe, five live cartridges, and 11 cutlasses.”

Adepoju assured the people of the state that the command is dedicated to fighting crime through intelligence-led, proactive, and community-focused policing.

He said they are working closely with the military, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and other partners to achieve this.

“I also want to talk to parents and guardians: Please, keep an eye on your children, know their friends, and warn them against cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery, and internet fraud. There is no future in crime.

“Let me be very clear, Rivers State will not be a safe place for criminals. We will find you, we will dismantle your networks, we will recover your weapons, and we will prosecute you,” CP Adepoju said.