Police arrest dismissed officer, staff, 3 others over foiled bank robbery in Rivers

Police have arrested a dismissed police Sergeant, Promise Ukwuoma (26), one Samuel Ndudiri (28), whois a staff member of a commercial bank in Rivers State and three others in connection with a foiled armed robbery attack in Port Harcourt.

Others arrested were Samuel Nwala (28), Lucky Ukwuoma (26) and Kaale Taagabah (27).

Items recovered from the suspects, according to a statement issued and signed by the Force spokesperson, Don Awunah, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, included two AK-47 rifles, magazines fully loaded with ammunition, a welding machine and two gas cylinders.

It said that the suspects and others still at large stormed a branch of a new generation bank (name withheld) in Port Harcourt, relying on information and active involvement of one of the staff of the bank.

The statement noted that the armed robbers successfully broke down the security doors and barriers and took over the banking hall.

“They were almost pulling down the vault of the bank and other strongrooms  in the bank with use of gas cylinders, welding machine and iron cutters before the joint police teams of Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team and policemen from Rivers State Police Command swiftly moved in and dislodged them, thereby foiling the  robbery attack on the bank,” the statement noted.

It went further to say that in the course of  investigation into the foiled armed robbery attack on the bank, the principal suspect who is a staff member of the bank and the mastermind of the armed robbery attack was subsequently arrested based on the confessional statements volunteered by the last three suspects arrested at the scene.

It said the arrest of the principal suspect led to the arrest of Ukwuoma, who reportedly participated actively in the armed robbery attack on the bank, while the two AK-47 rifles and the ammunition were recovered from him.

“All the suspects have volunteered confessional and useful statements to the police about the various roles they played in the commission of the crime.

“However, concerted efforts are being intensified to arrest other suspects still at large and bring them to justice. The case will be charged to court on completion of investigation,” it stated further.