{
  "id": 782215,
  "title": "Police nab fake soldier, 17 others over criminal activities in Rivers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/police-nab-fake-soldier-17-others-over-criminal-activities-in-rivers-782215",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-13T15:56:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/police-nab-fake-soldier-17-others-over-criminal-activities-in-rivers/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Rivers State Police Command has apprehended 18 suspects, including a man posing as a soldier, in connection with criminal activities across the state over the past two months. Among the seized items are 47 firearms, 12 stolen vehicles, 102 rounds of live ammunition, five live cartridges, and 11 cutlasses. Police Commissioner Olugbenga Adepoju revealed this during a press conference at the command's headquarters in Port Harcourt. The 49-year-old fake soldier, identified as Andrew Atausi, was found driving a military-painted Toyota Hilux in Port Harcourt. He confessed to being a serial car thief. The command also dismantled five kidnapping syndicates and two armed robbery networks. Adepoju emphasized the police's commitment to combating crime through intelligence-led operations and community engagement.",
  "summary": "Rivers State Police Command has arrested 18 suspects, including a fake soldier, and recovered 47 firearms in a major crackdown on criminal activities. Read More: https://punchng.com/police-nab-fake-soldier-17-others-over-criminal-activities-in-rivers/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}