June 21, (THEWILL) – Operatives of Operation Puff Adder, a tactical team of the Bayelsa State Police Command, have recovered two stolen rifles belonging to officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the State.
The missing rifles, according to Police authorities, were stolen from the NSCDC officers during guard duty at the Airtel office in the Bay Bridge area of Bayelsa State.
Those arrested over the alleged theft of the missing rifles include Tijani Nuhu, 23, from Kaduna State; Bello Mohammed, 27, from Zamfara State; Ebi Ogbe Collins, 26, from Southern Ijaw in Bayelsa State; Happy Friday, 25, from Esan South East of Edo State; and Godspower James, 37, from Alaebiri in Ekeremor Local Government area of Bayelsa State.
THEWILL gathered that the suspects made entry through the fence into the duty post of the NSCDC officers while they were busy ensuring orderliness at the busy Airtel office.
While the NSCDC authorities were searching for the missing rifles, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Francis Idu, gave a marching order to the Operatives of Operation Puff Adder to search and ensure the rifles were recovered.
Investigations, according to Police authorities, showed that the rifles were stolen by one Tijani Nuhu, a 23-year-old from Kaduna State, who scaled the fence of the Airtel office in Kpansia and hid them in a dustbin at Yenezue-Epie.
Tijani Nuhu allegedly contacted one Happy Friday from Esan-West local Government area of Edo State, to search for a buyer, but Friday went behind and stole the rifle where it was kept.
According to the report, “Friday later contacted one Earnest Lagos, alias Five Stars, who is based in Lagos for the sale of the rifles.”
Meanwhile, the vigilante groups contacted over the search got wind of the alleged attempts by Tijani Nuhu and others to sell the rifles for the sum of N40,000 and N200,000 to some persons.
The members of the Yenezue-gene vigilante group moved into the area searching for the guns but could not locate them.
Bayelsa State Police Commissioner, Francis Idu, confirmed the development in a chat on Friday at the Police headquarters.
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
