Six security guards employed by a private security company at the Rivers headquarters of Winners Chapel Church in Port Harcourt have been apprehended by the police on charges of stealing and attempting to sell the church’s property.
Reports suggest that the individuals were intercepted by the personnel of PHALGA Security Watch while transporting heavy iron rods and other items belonging to the church to a location in D-Line, Port Harcourt, where they intended to sell the stolen goods.
Victor Ohaji, Chairman of PHALGA Security Watch, revealed that he received information around 1 am on Sunday about the security guards moving the stolen items. Ohaji and his team acted promptly, tracing the guards to the intended sale site and managing to apprehend them.
While those interested in buying the stolen property managed to escape, the vigilante group was able to arrest the six security guards and recover the stolen items.
Further investigations by the vigilante group also led to the arrest of an individual named Mr. Chigbo at approximately 3 am on Sunday. He was caught vandalizing a truck belonging to the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) near a church at IKoku axis of Ikwerre road.
Chijioke Ani, the driver of the RIWAMA truck, explained that he had parked the truck due to depleted diesel. When he returned, he found that the truck’s compactor had been vandalized. Residents alerted Ani that the vandalizer, Mr. Chigbo, was apprehended by PHALGA Security Watch. Ani reported the situation to the Mile 1 Police Division where the suspect is presently held.
Upon notification, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Olu-Obasanjo Police Division dispatched officers to the scene and took custody of the six church security guards.
Rivers State Police Command spokesperson, SP Grace Koko, confirmed the incident, stating that five security guards were involved in the criminal activity. The guards had allegedly been conspiring to steal and sell iron rods, and they were caught in the act during their latest attempt.
Investigations into the case are ongoing, as authorities work to gather more information about the incident and the extent of the theft.
