Boko Haram invades Rivers State, 300 suspects arrested
At least 300 suspect Boko Haram members were apprehended in the early hours of Sunday at the border between Rivers and Imo States. They are being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Port Harcourt
The suspects who came in a convoy of Lorries however said they were in the state for legitimate business.
The suspects, including women were in a convoy of about 20 buses when they were apprehended at the border between Rivers and Imo states, between 5am and 8am on Sunday.
It was further leant that the buses belong to a transport company owned by a former inspector general of police were allegedly coming from Jigawa State when they were apprehended.
The convoy was said to be led by one Bala Mato Dambam.
Currently, the suspects were being quizzed by operatives of the Police at the state headquarter of the Criminal Investigation Department, CID located at the old Port Harcourt township popularly called town.
Their statements have already been taken by security agencies.
“They searched each of them and also searched the various buses they came in with after which the Police asked them to write their statements”, the sources said.
Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu, confirmed the arrest of the suspects, but would not state if they were members of Boko Haram until investigations were concluded.
He said security of the state was a top priority of the police command in Rivers, adding that the command would not take anything for granted.
Mbu said: “It is a top security issue, I don’t know how you got the information and I won’t ask you, but there cannot be any comment now from the Rivers police command until we finish the investigation. I will make no comment”.
One of them who do not want her name in print said, “They sell carrots and do cobbling jobs in Port Harcourt. They are not Boko Haram members”.
When contacted on the development, the Chief of Staff, Rivers State Government House, Mr. Tony Okocha said they would wait for the outcome of the Police investigation.