10th June, 2015
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Rivers Police Command and other security agencies are quizzing some persons who were arrested in a hideout where 10 vehicles belonging to the Rivers State Government allegedly stolen by former top government officials of the immediate past administration were recovered on Monday evening.
Those arrested and undergoing interrogation are expected to help the security agents track the top officials who engaged their services at the hideout so that more vehicles allegedly stolen would be recovered.
A statement from Government House stated that the vehicles were recovered from two locations identified as Rumuokparali and Trans-Amadi in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
The statement itemized the recovered vehicles as one Coaster bus, two Nissan Urvan buses, two Higer vehicles, one Land Cruiser, one Toyota Hilux Pick-up, one Peugeot 607 Saloon car and two Peugeot 406 cars.
It was learnt that security operatives who conducted the operation were accompanied to the locations by some Government House employees.
However, PM NEWS learnt from investigations that the large expanse of land where some of the vehicles were recovered by security operatives was used for illegal bunkering activities until it was bought by a yet-to-be-identified new owner.
It was further gathered that some serviceable and boarded government vehicles were hidden in a fallow land in Trans-Amadi industrial area.
On the day the raid was carried out, it was gathered that two vehicles were being driven into the hideout when security agents were tipped off by youths of the community who have laid surveillance around the hideout.
A source confided in PM News that on Monday that raid started about 4:00 pm attracting a large crowd as the vehicles were toed away by armed policemen and Government house officials.
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, had, on assumption of duty, alleged massive looting of government property and facilities by the immediate past administration.
A statement from Government House revealed that security operatives have begun interrogation of those found at the locations where the stolen vehicles were recovered.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad, confirmed that the command was able to recover the vehicles based on information that the stolen items were seen in unauthorised places.
“Acting on information that some suspected vehicles belonging to the Rivers State Government were seen parked in unauthorised yards, the command recovered three Coaster buses, two 306 Peugeot, two Hummer buses and one 306 Peugeot,” Mohammad said.