P.M. News (Lagos)
Cyril Akpan/Port Harcour
30 April 2004
Port Harcourt — About 200 Igbo traders have been arrested by the police in Rivers State for their alleged involvement in sharing stolen money abandoned by fleeing armed bandits at Education Bus Stop, along Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt.
More than 20 policemen in two police pick up vans Wednesday raided the area and arrested all the Igbo shoe traders on one side of the road.
When PMNews visited the area lastWedneday night it was deserted as other traders had fled for fear of being arrested by the police.
It would be recalled that some armed bandits in police uniform forcefully snatched N2m at gun point Wednesdday evening from a customer of Ecobank Nig. Plc. along Ikoku Street in Mile 2, Diobu, Port Harcourt.
The armed robbers, who found it difficult to escape because of the blockade mounted by commercial bus drivers, had to drop one of the Ghana-Must-Go bags containing money in order order to escape after firing several shots into the air to scare passersby.
PMNews gathered that some of the Igbo traders and policemen on duty at the junction at the time of the incident had a field day as they scrambled for the stolen money left behind by the fleeing robbers.
It is not yet known what the police would do with the arrested traders. Efforts to get the comments of the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Ireju Barasua, proved abortive as she was said to have travelled.
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