Blessing Okorite, Port Harcourt
Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have smashed a criminal hideout in Ogoni forest in the state and killed one suspected notorious kidnapper who was alleged to have been terrorising communities between Ogoni and parts of Abia State.
According to the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, Men of the Bori Police station trailed the suspects to their hideout in a forest Okwale, where the 35 years old Linus Lebari popularly called Devil, was killed in a dual gun battle.
Omoni disclosed that the killed suspect was the leader of a gang group responsible for the killing of over 30 people on the Ogoni axis of the East/West Road. He said two police officers that sustained serious wound in the gun battle were responding to treatment.
Confirming the incident, Omoni said, “Men of the Bori Police Station led by the DPO, last night at about 20:16hours, in a coordinated Operation trailed one Linus Lebari ‘m’ 35years AKA ‘BOBBY’ also known as ‘DEVIL’ from Teka Sogho in Khana LGA of Rivers State, to their hideout in a forest at Okwale in the boundary between Rivers and Abia states.
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“The hoodlums on noticing irregular movements around their camp, started shooting randomly but in a return fire from the Police, one of them was fatally wounded, who was later identified to be Linus Lebari from Teka Sogho, the leader of the kidnapping Gang responsible for all the attacks on the Ogoni axis of the East/West Road and whose gang has killed over 30 people in the two LGAs of Khana and Gokana, after collecting ransom.
“In the wake of the Operation, two Police Officers sustained gunshot wounds and are currently responding to treatment while one locally made Pistol and some Cartridges were recovered.”
The spokesman said efforts are on to arrest other gang members who fled with gunshot wounds.
Meanwhile, the state’s Commissioner of Police, CP Mustapha Dandaura, has assured the public that the onslaught against arms banditry in the State is raging and will not cease until all criminal elements in the state are history, while appealing for cooperation, by sharing credible information that will lead to the arrest of these criminals.
