Police corporal and pastor arrested for armed robbery, confesses to supplying arms to robbery gangs

A police corporal who was recently arrested for armed robbery, confessed to having supplied arms and ammunition to robbery gangs in various states, including Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa states. 

Christ Oboko Onitsha Ugbo, was arrested after he allegedly led his gang on a series of robbery operations in some states in the Niger Delta region. He is currently being detained by the Inspector General of Police’s Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT)

According to Daily Trust, the 36-year-old, until his arrest was attached to a special squad code named C4I of the Rivers State Police Command and was also the resident pastor of a church at Choba, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Oboko, who has also been linked to several violent crimes in Bayelsa, Delta, Imo, Lagos and Edo state was said to have been deployed to C41 from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Rivers State Command, having distinguished himself as a sniper and crack detective.

Prior to his arrest, the office of the immediate past IGP, Solomon Arase received series of complaints about the notorious activities of the gang and subsequently directed the leader of the Special Intelligence Response Team, Abba Kyari, to investigate the matter. Oboko was arrested following the arrest and confessions of one of his gang member identified as one Johnpaul Amandi.

"Aside from supplying members of my gang with police rifles and bullets, I also help keep their guns in my house without the knowledge of my wife and children."Oboko confessed.

"I joined the Nigeria Police Force in April 2003. I served at Borokiri Police Division, from there I went to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad SARS before joining C4I. I started car snatching in 2015 when I met Amandi, he was our informant. He lured me into robbery. I was only supplying them with arms. It all started when Amandi brought two vehicles. He gave them to one Victor Nwogu to sell. I met them doing the negotiation and from there, I offered to join them.

"I robbed the driver of a Toyota Camry at D-line area of Port Harcourt and we took the car to Victor in Owerri, I sold the car to victor for N200,000. We were three and I took N70,000 and I gave Amandi and Kelvin the balance to share. On the second operation, the three of us went for the job at D-line and we stole three Camry cars from the park. We sold the vehicles to the same Victor in Owerri and he paid us N360,000. I got N150,000 as my share. 

"We also snatched a Toyota Corolla, from Elelanwan area at gunpoint from its owner and I took the car to Victor and he paid N250,000. I took N80,000 as my share and I gave the rest to Amandi and Kelvin to share.

"We also snatched a Toyota Spider car at GRA from the owner at gun point and we parked it inside Borokiri sand field. But before we arrived in the morning the car had been removed,"

Lamenting, Oboko said, "I was always going to release them whenever they were arrested by the police and I don’t know what came over me. I am the resident pastor of a church at Choba, in Port Harcourt. I don’t know what made me join Amandi in his evil business."

The out going Force Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police Bisi Kolawole, who paraded the suspect disclosed that he and members of his gang were terrorizing Port Harcourt.

The gang members enjoyed full protection from Oboko, who bailed and defended them whenever they were arrested by the police. He provided fake vehicle documents for stolen vehicles and altered the vehicle engine and chassis numbers selling them, Ms Kolawole added.

Source: Daily Trust