By Rita Enemuru, Reporting
OPERATIVES of Eastern Port Police Command have arrested five suspects for stealing and diverting 1,840 bags of wheat belonging to the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi and made available to Stonix News on Monday.
The suspects were arrested while attempting to divert the bags of wheat which were to be transported from Ibeto Port Terminal, Port-Harcourt, to an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp located in Kano State.
In addition to nabbing the suspects identified as Umar Hashim, Edidiong Umoh, Udah Stanley, Abubakar Jariri and Yunusa Babangida, 1,238 stolen bags of wheat were recovered along with the truck and a bus used in carrying out the crime.
In reaction to the incident, the Police Force has reaffirmed its dedication to upholding all legal requirements and implementing anti-crime measures to stop illicit activity at various ports and around the economic hubs in Nigeria.
Additionally, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector General of Police, reiterated the mission of the Nigeria Police, which is to make sure that those who engage in activities intended to undermine the nation’s economy and prolong suffering among the public’s most vulnerable members are sternly dealt with by the law.
He has therefore ordered that the suspects be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations and tying of all loose ends.
The statement read in part: “The 1,840 bags of wheat which were to be transported from Ibeto Port Terminal, Port-Harcourt, to an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp located in Kano State were fraudulently diverted by the drivers tasked with this assignment, alongside their accomplices, who were intercepted and apprehended by the operatives of the Nigeria Police attached to the Eastern Port.
“The operatives arrested five (5) suspects namely Umar Hashim, Edidiong Umoh, Udah Stanley, Abubakar Jariri and Yunusa Babangida, and recovered 1,238 stolen bags of wheat along with the truck and a bus used in carrying out the crime. The recovered bags of wheat have been returned to the World Food Programme, and efforts are in top gear to recover the missing 602 bags of wheat and arrest the other suspects associated with the crime.
“The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun has re-emphasized the goal of the Nigeria Police to ensure that individuals engaged in activities aimed at sabotaging the economy of the country and entrenching hardships among the vulnerable members of the public are ardently dealt with in line with extant laws. He has therefore ordered that the suspects be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations and tying of all loose ends.”
What's your reaction?
