SAN FRANCISCO, January 02, (THEWILL) – Maj.-Gen. Kasimu Abdulkarim, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the newly-created 6 Division in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has displayed the AK-47 rifle and uniforms of two slain police officers, Mohammed Alkali, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Mobile Police Unit 48, and his orderly, Sgt. Urukwu Nwachukwu.
THEWILL recalls that Alkali and Nwachukwu were beheaded during the December 10 legislative rerun in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers state.
Abdulkarim, speaking with reporters, warned against violation of Army’s clean-up operation in the crude oil and gas-rich Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, where he said innocent persons were killed daily by militants and cultists.
He stressed that the trend of violence in the state could not be left unchecked declaring that the Federal Government would provide tight security in all parts of Rivers.
The GOC displayed the arms, ammunition and other items recovered from hoodlums in the local government while he also paraded one of the suspects, saying others had been handed over to the police for prosecution.
“Four of the suspected criminals’ camps located across the river in Ujju Town near Omoku were raided on December 31, 2016. In the raid operations, 6 Division troops, in conjunction with Operation Delta Safe Special Boat Service and air component, engaged the suspected criminals in severe exchange of fire, in which they were dislodged. This led to the arrest of suspects,” he said.
“Ammunition, uniforms and weapons were recovered. The late DSP Mohammed Alkali with his orderly, Sgt. Urukwu Nwachukwu’s AK-47 rifle and uniforms, as evidenced in the name tags, were also recovered.
“The large cache of ammunition and weapons recovered in the operation also include one AK-47 rifle, two G3 rifles, five double-barrelled guns, two pistols, 31 empty AK-47 magazines, 242 rounds of 7.62 mm NATO and 322 rounds of other ammunition calibre.
“Other recovered items include 31 handsets, bullet-proof jackets, Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards, first aid box and seven police uniforms.
“In the last one month, 15 people were horrifically murdered with many others kidnapped in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA of Rivers State.
“Those killed include a soldier, four officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), two policemen and eight civilians. The gunmen also took away ammunition, vehicles and weapons.
“This trend of violence cannot be left unchecked. The 6 Division will sustain operation clean-up of the area for oil companies and the people to go about their businesses in a peaceful environment.
“It is envisaged that sustaining the operation will end the senseless killing of innocent citizens, including security personnel. This will further frustrate illegal arms and ammunition acquisition, which will usher secure environment for economic prospects.
“The clean-up operation is in continuation of efforts by the division to recover and mop up illegally-acquired weapons from cultists and criminals, who do not mean well for our dear nation and refuse to embrace the Rivers State amnesty programme.”
Story by Oputah David
