Police Arrest Fake Soldier, 17 Others, Recover 47 Firearms in Rivers

The Rivers State Police Command has arrested 18 suspected criminals, including a 49 year old man allegedly posing as a soldier, and recovered 47 firearms, 12 stolen vehicles and other weapons in operations across the state.

The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, disclosed this on Thursday while parading some of the suspects and recovered exhibits at the command headquarters in Port Harcourt.

Adepoju said the fake soldier, identified as Andrew Atausi, was arrested on August 10 along Ada George while dressed in military uniform and driving a Toyota Hilux painted in Army colours, adding that three suspected stolen Toyota Hilux vehicles and a Toyota Corona Premio were recovered from him.

The command also arrested three suspects linked to the June 29 attack on police officers at Aluu, in which two officers were killed and others injured, while two stolen AK 47 rifles were recovered from their hideout, with other suspects linked to kidnapping, armed robbery, one chance robbery and cultism also arrested.

Adepoju said the operations also led to the recovery of 102 rounds of ammunition, five cartridges, 11 cutlasses and other weapons, assuring residents that the command would sustain intelligence led and community oriented policing to rid Rivers State of criminal elements.