Police find gun hidden in bread, arrest suspect in Rivers

The Rivers State Police Command has reported that officers found an illegal gun hidden inside a loaf of bread on Azikiwe Road in Port Harcourt. They also arrested a suspect during this operation.

The police discovered the firearm during a routine stop-and-search operation. After thoroughly searching a vehicle, they found the gun with the suspect, identified as Braya Nanas.

ASP Blessing Agabe, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, shared this information in a statement released in Port Harcourt on Friday evening.

Agabe explained that initial investigations showed the gun, a Browning pistol, had no serial number. The suspect confessed to buying the weapon in Okrika, a town close to Port Harcourt, for N800,000.

The statement mentioned, "Following the orders of the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, Olugbenga Adepoju, officers conducted a routine check along Azikiwe Road by Red Cross Junction. They stopped a vehicle and searched its passengers. A Browning pistol, cleverly hidden inside a loaf of bread, was found with Braya Nanas, a male from New Road, Borikiri, Port Harcourt, who was a passenger in the vehicle."

"Initial investigation revealed that the gun had no visible serial number, which raises questions about where it came from and what it was intended for."

The suspect reportedly admitted the gun was his and mentioned he bought it in Okrika for Eight Hundred Thousand Naira.

In the statement, Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Adepoju urged residents to stay alert and aware of their surroundings at all times.

Adepoju pointed out that finding a gun hidden in a loaf of bread shows the tricky tactics criminals use to avoid being caught. He encouraged people to be careful of suspicious individuals and activities around them and to report any security issues to the nearest police station.

The police commissioner also warned residents not to accept, carry, or store items they do not know about, as this could unknowingly help criminals.

"The Command urges the public to keep supporting law enforcement by sharing timely and useful information. Strong community partnerships are key to effective policing," the statement concluded.