The Rivers Police Command on Wednesday said it had arrested 41 suspects for various criminal offences.
The state Police Commissioner, Mr Zaki Ahmed, made the disclosure at a press briefing in Port Harcourt.
He said 14 were arrested for armed robbery, 11 for kidnapping while three were being held for cult activities.
According to Ahmed, eight vehicles, two AK47 assault rifles and three pump action guns were also recovered from the suspects.
Also recovered were 17 locally made pistols, 52 rounds of ammunition, 52 live cartridges and three double barrel guns.
“It has not been easy with us as we have had to battle these hoodlums on all fronts.
“We deployed all the resources at our disposal to tackle the menace of cultism which has been a major challenge,” he said
The commissioner, however, said the command has won the battle and would not rest on its oars.
Ahmed further disclosed that a 72-year-old retired army officer, Moses Walter, was kidnapped and killed by the cult group, Iceland, in Ahoada, Ahoada Local Government Area.
The commissioner, who added that the command had intensified patrols, as well as “, stop and search operations,’’ appealed to residents to cooperate with the command.
According to him, “ stop and search’’ operations remained one the means of foiling crimes in the society.
He also said the police had taken the war against crime to criminals in their hideouts.
Ahmed, who said most of the suspects had confessed to the crimes, gave an assurance that they would soon be arraigned after investigations were concluded.
