NEWS
Rivers State Police Command Arrests Two Over Alleged Hook-Up Lure, Robbery, and Assault Plot in Port Harcourt; Suspects Accused of Targeting Young Women in Hotels
…as Police Arrest Man Who Lure Hook Up Girls Into Hotels In Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Police Command has arrested two suspected members of an armed robbery syndicate accused of luring young women through hook-up arrangements to hotels in Port Harcourt, where they allegedly robbed and assaulted their victims.
The suspects, identified as 27-year-old married man Albert Koko-ete Hanson and 18-year-old Wisdom Okon, both from Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, were apprehended following a distress alert that led to the rescue of three female victims from a hotel apartment in the Rivers State capital.
One of the victims, identified simply as Faith, recounted that she was contacted by a person said to be working at a hotel in Port Harcourt, who informed her that a guest required her services. Upon arrival at the hotel, she was reportedly directed to a two-bedroom apartment where the suspects were lodged.
Faith disclosed that upon entering the apartment, the suspects showed her a photograph of another young woman and accused her of knowing the person in the picture, alleging that the said woman had taken five million naira from them. She was then allegedly pressured to provide information and access to her mobile phone.
According to her account, the suspects seized her phone and compelled her to disclose her password. However, after discovering that her bank account contained no funds, they allegedly intensified their actions.
Faith further revealed that before her arrival, another female victim had already been restrained and blindfolded, and was being held in the toilet within the apartment. She stated that the suspects later brought the restrained victim out, stripped both women, and assaulted them before tying them up again.
The victims also alleged that the suspects threatened them with further harm, heightening fears for their safety.
The breakthrough reportedly came when a third female victim, who was later brought into the apartment, managed to send a distress message to her friends lodged in the same hotel. The message was sent while the suspects were allegedly attempting to force her to unlock her banking application.
Her friends quickly alerted the hotel’s security personnel, who intervened and rescued the three victims from the apartment. The suspects were subsequently apprehended and handed over to the police.
Confirming the arrest, the spokesperson of the command, Grace Iringe-Koko, a Chief Superintendent of Police, stated that the prime suspect confessed to his involvement in the criminal activities.
According to the police, investigations revealed that the syndicate deliberately targeted young women perceived to be financially stable, particularly those using high-end mobile devices. The suspects allegedly selected victims they believed could be coerced into transferring large sums of money or whose families could be extorted.
Police sources further disclosed that the prime suspect admitted to making over eighteen million naira within six years through the illicit operation.
The police spokesperson urged young women to avoid engaging in prostitution, popularly referred to as hook-up, warning of the grave risks involved. She advised young ladies to acquire legitimate skills and pursue lawful means of livelihood to safeguard their future and personal safety.
The command assured the public that the suspects will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations, reiterating its commitment to protecting residents and cracking down on criminal syndicates operating within the state.