Police gun down hoodlum, recover 2 cars

Police in Rivers State said they killed a hoodlum during heavy shooting Monday, when police and hoodlums exchanged gunfire on Psychiatric Road, Port Harcourt, resulting to the gunning down of one of the gunmen.

According to Ahmad Muhammad, police public relations officer in Rivers State, the shooting took place following a tip-off that a Toyota Venza, which was snatched three days ago, was sighted along the Psychiatric Road in the state capital.

As a result of this, “our men quickly mobilised, trailed and engaged the vehicle’s occupants. In the interim, one of the hoodlums was fatally wounded, while an object suspected to be dynamite, one Toyota Venza light green colour with plate number: No. Rivers NH 262 ST, and one Lexus 300 Jeep pencil colour, No. Rivers KRK 957BX abandoned by the hoodlums were recovered,” said Muhammad in a statement to the press.

He further stated, “the operation is still ongoing with a view to arresting the other fleeing hoodlums.”

The Rivers police image-maker was however silent on an armed robbery attack at a new generation bank located on Rumuola Road, beside the Rivers College of Arts and Science (RIVCAS), Port Harcourt.

Incidentally, the bank faces the Psychiatric Road, where the police claimed they exchanged gunshots with armed hoodlums.

Eyewitnesses said the armed robbery attack lasted for more than 30 minutes, as many customers to the bank and the bank itself lost undisclosed amount of cash to the invading armed robbers.

It was said that it was the third time the bank would be robbed this year.

Also, on the same day (Monday), a bookshop on the ground floor on 49, Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt was robbed. The armed robbers, who were four in number, hit the daughter of the shop owner with the butt of the gun, as well as one of the customers who came to buy stationery, before snatching their money, an amount BusinessDay could not ascertain as at time of filing in the report.