49 Armed Robbery, Rape Suspects arrested in Bayelsa

The Nigeria police, Bayelsa State Police Command yesterday described as "untrue" the claims by the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) that its men engaged in the indiscriminate arrest of innocent people in the State, noting that its routine raids and stop-and-search operations have led to the arrest of a military deserter and 49 other persons for alleged involvement in armed robbery and other violent crimes.Astimin Butswat, the Police spokesman in Bayelsa said the military deserter, identified as 28-year-old Yenabo Presido from Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, and his accomplice, 22-year-old ThankGod Victor from Ogoni, Rivers State, were arrested along the Sani Abacha way of the Bayelsa State capital.

According to Mr. Butswat, the Army deserter reportedly confessed that the assault rifle found in his possession was stolen from a Boko Haram camp in the northeast, where he had served. Also found in his possession was a Highlander jeep stolen from Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

On the alleged indiscriminate arrest of persons in the Bayelsa State capital, the Mr. Butswat said that though the command's attention has been drawn to claims that some policemen have engaged in illegal arrest, the raids are operational strategies deployed to combat crime in the state.

He mentioned for example a captured suspect named Godgift Isaac, who had committed assaults and robberies as part of a six-man gang.

"These feats couldn't have been easily achieved without raids,” Mr. Butswat said. “As [of] now the Command has a total number of fifty armed robbery suspects who were on the wanted list, but were arrested through raiding; six suspected rapist who were on the run, but were later apprehended through raiding.”