The suspects and the tools for the robbery recovered from them

Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Nigerian police have arrested five suspects in connection with December’s failed robbery of a branch of  Access Bank in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The principal suspect and the master mind of the foiled bank attack, who is a staff of the bank, Samuel Ndudiri, 28, was arrested with the other four. Others are an ex-police sergeant, Promise Ukwuoma, Samuel Nwala, 28; Lucky Ukwuoma, 26 and Kaale Taagabah, 27.

Recovered from the suspects are; two AK 47 rifles and magazines fully loaded with ammunition, a welding machine, two gas cylinders and iron cutters, a big chisel, cutting saw, hammer and acetylene gas power.

Force Public Relations Officer, Don Awunah, in a statement on Thursday, said the suspects and others still at large, had on 22 December, 2016, stormed a branch of Access Bank PLC in Port Harcourt, relying on information and active involvement of one of the staff of the bank.

“The armed robbers successfully broke down the well fortified security doors and barriers and took over the banking hall.

“They were almost pulling down the vault of the bank and other strong rooms in the bank with use of gas cylinder welding machine and iron cutters before the joint Police Teams of IGP’s Intelligence Response Team and policemen from Rivers State Police Command swiftly moved in and dislodged them, thereby foiled the armed robbery attack on the Bank and made a prompt arrest of three of the suspects at the scene; namely Samuel Nwala, Lucky Ukwuoma and Kaale Taagabah.

“In the course of thorough investigation into the foiled armed robbery attack, the principal suspect who is a staff of the bank and the master mind of the armed robbery attack was subsequently arrested based on the confessional statements volunteered by the last three suspects arrested at the scene,” he said.

Awunah said the arrest of the principal suspect led to the arrest of ex-sergeant, Promise Ukwuoma who participated actively in the armed robbery attack on the bank and two AK 47 riffles and the ammunition were recovered from him.

He added that all the suspects had volunteered confessional and useful statements to the Police about the various criminal roles they played in the commission of the crime.

“However, concerted efforts are being intensified to arrest other suspects still at large and bring them to justice. The case will be charged to court on completion of investigation,” he said.