Police arrests four robbery suspects in Warri

The Nigeria Police Force, Delta State Command on Monday March 3, arrested four suspected armed robbers and recovered fire arms from them, Our Senior Correspondent reports.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Celestina Kalu dropped the hint while parading the suspects at the Area Command in Warri.

Celestina Kalu said the suspects robbed one Mrs. Ekpesu Celestina of her Honda CRV car with Registration Number BZ115RSH along Chevron Clinic Road opposite DBS, Warri at about 0600hrs on 1/3/2014.

According to the Police PRO, a crack team of detectives from the Area Commander's Office in Warri at about 0930hrs on 02/03/2014 saw and suspected the vehicle along Warri Sapele road and immediately contacted policemen at a nearby check point where the vehicle was eventually stopped for routine check and three men: John Samuel Johnson Rarire (Driver)  Ovinne Ikweki and Garba Mohammed were arrested with the vehicle.

The Force Image Maker said on interrogation, the suspects confessed to robbing Mrs. Ekpesu Celestina and carried out some other armed robbery cases within Warri and its environs.

She also hinted that the suspects led the team of detectives to Owhawha Village where they identified one Emmanuel America as a member of the gang and was promptly arrested.

Items recovered from the Emmanuel America include one double barrel gun with Batch No.FSA13276, one dagger, various charms and 3 single barrel locally made guns.

She said the owner of the Honda CRV, Mrs. Ekpesu Celestina has identified her vehicle which the hoodlums robbed from her at gun point.

While calling on the general public to help the police with useful information in other to ensure the safety of lives and properties, DSP Celestina Kalu noted that investigation is in progress and the suspects will soon be charged to court, even as she added that efforts are in top gear to track down other members of the gang.

One of the suspects, Emmanuel America happened to be the Vigilante Chairman of Owhawha Community. Emmanuel America who spoke to newsmen said his friend; Samuel Johnson Rarire whom he has known for over ten years came to him from Lagos State that he should prepare a charm (gun protection) for him to secure a job, noting that he has been sacked from his place of work.

According to America, the mistake he made was his "failure to ask Samuel what he wants to use the charm for". America noted that he welcomed the police with the hope that they have come to pick him to join them for an operation only for him to be told that he is under arrest.

Samuel Johnson Rarire who is the driver said this is his first time of embarking on a robbery operation, admitting that he went to Emmanuel America Ararire to prepare a charm for him.

Another of the suspect, Ovinneh Ikweki who claimed to be a welder denied that he had never been engaged in armed robbery, stressing that his connection with the robbery suspects was when he was travelling to Benin-City and they stopped to give him lift from Warri to Benin.

According to him, it was while on their way that the police stopped the vehicle and arrested them, a testimony that was immediately refuted by Samuel Johnson Ararie who said himself and Ovinneh Ikweki have been friends for over ten years.

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