The Rivers State Police Command said its operatives recovered an unauthorised firearm concealed inside a loaf of bread along the Azikiwe Road axis of Port Harcourt and arrested a suspect.
The police said the recovery was made during a routine stop-and-search operation after a vehicle was thoroughly searched and the firearm was found in the possession of the suspect, identified as Braya Nanas.
The spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, ASP Blessing Agabe, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Friday evening.
Agabe said preliminary investigations revealed that the firearm, a Browning pistol, had no visible serial number. She added that the suspect admitted purchasing the weapon in Okrika, near Port Harcourt, for N800,000.
The statement read, “In line with the directives of the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, Olugbenga Adepoju, operatives of the command, during a routine check operation along Azikiwe Road by Red Cross Junction, Port Harcourt, intercepted a vehicle and conducted a thorough search of its occupants. A Browning pistol, ingeniously concealed inside a loaf of bread, was recovered from one Braya Nanas (male), a resident of New Road, Borikiri, Port Harcourt, who was travelling as a passenger in the vehicle.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the firearm had no visible serial number, raising concerns about its origin and intended use.
“The suspect allegedly admitted ownership of the weapon and further stated that he purchased it in Okrika for the sum of Eight Hundred Thousand Naira.”
According to the statement, the Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, urged residents to remain vigilant and security-conscious at all times.
CP Adepoju said the discovery of a firearm hidden inside a loaf of bread demonstrated the increasingly deceptive methods employed by criminal elements to evade detection.
He advised members of the public to be wary of suspicious persons, packages and activities within their communities and to promptly report any security concerns to the nearest police station.
The police commissioner also cautioned residents against accepting, conveying or storing items whose contents are unknown, saying such actions could inadvertently aid criminal activities.
“The Command calls on residents to continue supporting law enforcement agencies through timely and credible intelligence sharing, emphasizing that effective policing thrives on strong community partnership,” the statement added.
