THE Police joint strike force set-up by Ibrahim Idris, the inspector general of Police, IGP, to arrest those responsible for the abduction of one Tina Bob Manuel who was kidnapped by Prosper David, a vicious and notorious sea pirate, and his gang on November 22, 2017 in her shop in Port Harcourt, has killed David and arrested three of his gang members.

The gang leader who was killed during the shoot-out between his gang and the Police team had been on the wanted list of the Nigeria Police Force for some time now for several kidnappings of many innocent people in Rivers State and other states in the South-South and South-East part of the country.

Police said the vicious gang was also responsible for several piracy attacks on the waterways in the region. The deceased gang leader was identified after his death by some of his victims.

According to a press signed by Jimoh Moshood, an assistant commissioner of Police and Force public relations officer, the three other suspects now in Police custody have confessed to be active members of the gang and also “admitted to series of criminal roles they played in the commission of various kidnappings for ransom, armed robberies, cult related killings, sea piracy and other violent crimes in the South-South and other States of the country.” The suspects were equally identified by some of the victims who were kidnapped by the gang in the past.

Recovered from the suspects were one AK47 Rifle; 26 rounds of AK47 live ammunition; four expended shells of ammunition; a Nokia phone belonging to the victim and used in the negotiation of ransom.

Moshood said the suspects would be arraigned in court on completion of investigation.

Nevertheless, the Police spokesman said efforts had been intensified to arrest other members of the gang still at large.

That notwithstanding, he said that “the renewed commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to sustain the tempo of the fight against kidnappings and other violent crimes in the country and guarantee protection of Lives and Property remains unequivocal and unwavering.”

– Mar. 16, 2018 @ 12:53 GMT |