You think some policemen are corrupt? Wait till you hear account of what some military operatives have turned to in the Niger Delta.
They first taste blood through oil bunkering crackdowns where they are expected to stop the evil trade.
They later become the prosecutors of bunkering, and later diversity into multifarious crime networks. They then call up their fellows in other parts of the country, and soon, a vicious criminal network is born in the oil region.
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Now, the Rivers State Police command says it has arrested 13-member gang specialising in hijacking and diverting trailer loads of goods
Investigations by the command, following arrests for attempted burglary, have revealed a wide range of criminal activities.
On March 4, 2024, at approximately 11 pm, the Rivers State Police Command received a distress call about burglars who were attempting to vandalise warehouses in Elimgbu owned by one Emmanuel Nwangwu and Ndifreke Ekanem.
The police promptly mobilised to the scene and arrested five suspects who had been severely beaten by a mob.
The wounded suspects were taken to the police hospital as investigations began. During the investigation, it was discovered that one of the suspects, West Isaac (08NA/61/2653), was a corporal in the Nigerian Army serving in Delta State.
Another suspect, Jabila Kammangar, also known as ‘Kaka,’ was an officer of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps serving in Kabba, Kogi State. They have confessed to abandoning their posts to engage in criminal activities in Rivers State due to its lucrativeness.
Corporal West, a 36-year-old father of four from Buguma, Rivers State, who joined the Army in 2008.
West disclosed to the police that he met Kaka while serving in the Army’s Anti-Bunkering Unit, and together, they engaged in several illegal activities. He further revealed that he came to Port Harcourt after receiving a call from Kaka about raiding warehouses, which led to their capture.
Further investigations revealed that they were part of a larger criminal ring specializing in armed robbery, hijacking, and goods diversion. Corporal West disclosed to the police that he and other Army personnel had been key players in the group.
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Besides ransacking warehouses, they had a network of informants who provided hints about the schedules of goods-bearing trailers. They would then dress in full military gear, lay in wait for the trailers, and accost them with a white Hilux van as they approached. They would intimidate the drivers, assault them, and hand their keys to designated drivers, who would then divert the trailers to waiting receivers.
Based on his confessional statement, the police were able to track down and arrest three key military men (names withheld). Alsom eight civilians who aided the evil racket were also nabbed. The group’s coordinator was identified as an Army lance corporal from Otukpo in Benue State.
