Police in Rivers State have arrested and paraded a group of notorious "one chance" operators in Port Harcourt, bringing an end to their three-years reign of terror.
The Nigerian police said the suspects, who were arrested after a dramatic chase, were found to be operating a purple-coloured Volkswagen Golf 3 with registration number RIVERS-ABU 738 LS. The police had received a tip-off about the vehicle and its occupants, who were suspected of being involved in "one chance" operations.
CP Disu explained that a Police patrol team on September 4, 2024, at approximately 9 pm, spotted the gang robbing their latest victim around Garrison flyover.
As the police patrol van approached the vehicle, one of the occupants was pushed out of the car around the Garrison flyover area. The police gave chase, pursuing the vehicle from Garrison to Eleme junction, where they eventually intercepted the car and its occupants.
Parading the suspects alongside other suspects at the state police command on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, who represented the state Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, said the suspects had been operating for the past two years along the Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway.
The suspects were identified as Thaddeus Sunday Ogu, 42-year-old, male, from Orlu Community in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State; Chinagorom Eze, 35, female, from Ekpiga Community in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State and Favour Yusuf, 30, from Plateau State.
According to the police, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects had been luring unsuspecting victims into their operational car, posing as a commercial vehicle. They would create a single passenger space at the front seat, while the gang members occupied every other seat. When a victim got in, they would raise a false alarm, getting the victim agitated, and eventually dispossessing them of their money or phones before pushing them out of the moving car.
“The gang that had been operating for over two years have Confessed to the crime and revealed to the Police their mode of operation", CP Disu said.
The suspects confessed to the crime and revealed that they had been operating in Port Harcourt and its environs between 10 pm and 5 am daily for the past three years. They also revealed that they would sell the stolen items to awaiting receivers and share the proceeds amongst themselves.
Items recovered from the suspects include their operational Golf 3 Volkswagen car and one locally made pistol with one live cartridge. The police have praised the bravery and quick thinking of their officers, who brought an end to the suspects' reign of terror.
The "one chance" operators had been a menace to the people of Port Harcourt, and their arrest is a significant breakthrough in the fight against crime in the state. The police have urged anyone with information about other criminal activities to come forward, promising to protect their identities and ensure their safety.
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