‘Pregnant woman’ arrested for attacking cyclist, snatching tricycle

Juliana Francis

Eboka

A woman, identified as Adaugo Darlington, who used to pretend to be pregnant to attract the sympathy of cyclists, making them lower their guards to snatch their tricycles has been arrested.

The suspect was arrested by the Rivers State Police Command along with her partner in crime, Steve Green, 38. According to the police, the gang is a four-man gang, but two were arrested, while two are still at large.

The Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Grace Iringe-Koko, said that the gang specialised in dispossessing unsuspecting drivers of their tricycles popularly known as Keke NAPEP.

Iringe-Okoko said: “The suspects, Steve Green and Adaugo Darlington, a female who usually pretends to be pregnant to attract sympathy, pose as passengers, attack the drivers with knives and machetes and then push them down while the tricycle is still in motion. However, luck ran out on the gang on 31st March 2022, along Rumunduru   Eneka   in Obio / Akpor  Local Government Area, when police operatives of Eneka Division, while on routine patrol, got to the scene where their last victim, Lasisi Akreem was dispossessed of his tricycle. The victim who had machete cuts on his body was able to describe his tricycle and the suspects. The gallant officers immediately chased and apprehended two of the suspects and recovered the tricycle. The victim was rushed to the hospital for medical treatment while efforts are on to catch the other two members of the gang that escaped.” 

In a related development, operatives of the command, C4i Team, attached to Etche Local Government Area, acting on credible intelligence, raided a criminal hideout at Okehi Etche, where they successfully arrested two male suspects - Njoku Chimanya, 19, and Chijioke Umesurum, 20, who were suspected to be members of a secret cult.

Recovered from them are; a stainless English Pistol with breech No. 323898, and items suspected to be hard drugs.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Eboka Friday, while reiterating the commitment of his command to combating crimes and criminality to a negligible level, assured members of the public that the suspects would be charged to court. He also advised tricycle riders to be wary of passengers boarding in groups, especially at nighttime.