Ibrahim Odege, a serving police sergeant, was arrested while carrying out a robbery operation alongside, one Sampson Odege, at Elekahia Housing Estate, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Sergeant Odege was attached to the Operations Department of the Rivers Police Command while his accomplice, Inomoghe, 32 years old, hails from Nembe, in Bayelsa State, but resides at Rumuokwrushi in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
While confirming the incident, spokesperson of Rivers Police Command, SP Nnamdi Omoni said the suspects were arrested at about 10 p.m. on Saturday.
He said they were arrested by policeman who responded to a distress call at the Elekahia Housing Estate that two armed robbers who were robbing people and dispossessing them of their valuables.
“The timely arrival of the Police led to the arrest of the two armed robbers who were later identified as Sergeant Ibrahim Odege attached to the Operations Department of the Rivers Police Command and one Sampson Inomoghe ‘m’ 32yrs from Nembe in Bayelsa State, but resides at Rumuokwrushi in Obio/Akpor LGA.”
“The duo was arrested at the scene of crime with the following Exhibits: Three different Handsets belonging to their victims and one locally made Bareta Pistol. One of the Victims, Mrs Doris Elechi identified them as those that robbed her of her Tecno Handset, which is one of the exhibits recovered.
“At the Station, the suspects confessed to have carried out the robbery attacks among other revelations.
Meanwhile the Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph G.Mukan has condemned the act and ordered the immediate transfer of suspects and exhibits to the State Criminal Investigation Department for Investigation while appealing to the public to increase their security consciousness and report any suspicious character and movement around them to the Police.
However, another source revealed that the two suspected armed robbers were actually arrested by security guards and residents of Elekahia Housing Estate who found the Identify Card of Nigeria Police Force in possession of Sergeant Odege.
It was gathered that the suspects who were on a motorcycle had robbed two ladies of their phones and other valuables at about 10:30pm. After this, they attempted to rob a man who raised an alarm which attracted attention of security men who immediately closed the gates to the estate while the some of the residents gave the robbers a hot chase.
The source added: “The residents caught the suspects and discovered that one of them was putting on Police combat T- shirt and a Police ID card was found on him.
“The suspects were later handed over to Elekahia Divisional Police headquarters.”
The President of Elekahia Progressive Youth, Prince One Aholu, also confirmed to in a telephone chat that he got the report that the suspects were arrested during a robbery operation in the area by security guards who subsequently called in police officers from Elekahia Divisional Police Station in Port Harcourt to take them away.
The Youth President disclosed that one of the suspects was in possession of a Nigerian Police Identity card and that the two armed robbery suspects were armed.
But Aholu commended the Police for their swift response, while urging youths in the community to remain calm as the matter is being investigated by the Police.
Mr Aholu urged the Police to pay more attention to Elekahia ring road and railway axis as the areas has become a den of criminals.
He alleged that many of the criminals use the railway and Ring road axis as operational base, while urging the security agencies to do everything possible to rid the spots of criminality.
