By: Special Roving Correspondent
Police in Warri have nabbed four thieves caught in the act of stealing gold chain from unsuspecting victims during a burial ceremony.
According to eye witnesses, the first set of thieves were caught in the early hours, while the second batch were caught toward noon.
They added that the incident has been occurring for quite a while now. According to them the suspects go to burial arena dressed in black and blend in the family pretending to be related to the deceased. Then while people are crying and mourning they will strike the suspecting victims.
According to an eye witness who identified himself as Mr. Ufuoma, the two boys were apprehended by the police about 8:00 am while they stole gold chain worth N54,000 from a woman who started wailing but no one paid her any attention. Mr. Ufuoma said “two boys were caught by the police around 8:00 am at Cemetery road. They were caught while they were cutting a gold chain from a woman. The woman was crying and nobody came to her rescue. The woman wailed that the gold chain cost N54,000 and the police later apprehended the suspects”.
Another witness who identified himself as Mr. Frank disclosed that the act have been going on for so many years but that on that fateful day the D.P.O announced that anyone caught in the act will be arrested, tried in the court of law and sentenced to the Okere prison. In his words, Mr. Frank said “this act has been happening for so long now. In fact when I came here, I met it happening. On Wednesday the D.P.O of A division in Warri passed an order that anyone caught stealing gold chain will be prosecuted in the court of law from there to Okere prison”.
On his part, Vice President of Igbudu Youths, Mr. Peter Akporego said “we are cooperating with the police to pursue thieves who are cutting gold chains from women and traders neck as well as wrist watch. Yes we are cooperating with the police and they need our help”.
Meanwhile at the same Warri-Sapele road an unidentified police nabbed a woman from a public transport bus for interfering with police business.
According to eye witnesses and co passengers, “the woman was pleading with the police men who were escorting a boullion van transporting money to the bank to stop harassing an okada rider carrying two passengers by beating him with gun so they arrested the woman”.
According to one of the victims of the police brutality, an okada rider who pleaded anonymity, the police men were beating okada riders with gun, when he interfered and was also beaten. He claimed that the woman was pleading on their behalf when she was arrested”.
All efforts by our correspondent to identify the police station the woman was taken to proved abortive. Our reporter was told by the various police command in Warri that no such case was reported to their station. In the course of our reporter’s investigation, she was threatened by one officer, John Ogbe.
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