By Samuel Oyadongha

YENAGOA—THE Bayelsa State Police Command, yesterday, confirmed the arrest of 248 suspected armed robbers, rapists and members of various cult gangs in the state.

Authorities of the command said though about 151 cases had been charged to court in the last three months, they expressed concern over the upsurge in cases of cult-related crimes and others bordering on defilement and raping of under-aged girls in the state.

Some of the suspects paraded yesterday.

Parading about 34 suspected armed robbers, rapists and cultists, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, expressed sadness that out of the cases recorded in the state, the cases of defilement of minors, cultism and drug-related arrests were on a worrisome increase.

He said: “In summary, 151 cases have been charged to court since July, with a total of 248 suspects. The level of piracy on our waterways remains worrisome and the command is working hard to secure gunboats to police our waterways effectively.

“Pipeline vandalism was almost becoming a thing of the past in the state until this relative calm was disrupted with the recent bomb attack on a pipeline in Southern Ijaw.”

The police commissioner also presented two suspects arrested over the kidnapping and murder of a 78-year-old man, Pa Dennis Ogazi, from Sagbama town in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.

According to him, the suspects, identified as David Sunshine and Otuogbo Usio, allegedly confessed to the crime, saying the victim died in their camp at Enwhe community in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Also arrested were five suspects for robbing the home of a state High Court Judge , Justice Ebiyerin Omukoro.

The police commissioner said: “They held him (Justice) and his family captive, collected his ATM card under duress and went to withdraw some money from his account. The hoodlums later carted away his plasma TV set, phones and other personal items.

“The same robbery gang invaded the home of Tolumoye Bikikoro at 2.30a.m. and robbed him of his television and mobile phones.”