The Rivers State police command says it has arrested a suspect, Braya Nanas, for allegedly concealing an illegal firearm inside a loaf of bread during a routine stop-and-search operation along Azikiwe Road by Red Cross Junction in Port Harcourt.

According to a statement issued on Friday by the command’s spokesperson, Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, the suspect was arrested after police intercepted a vehicle and conducted a thorough search of its occupants.

“Operatives of the command during a routine check operation along Azikiwe Road by Red Cross Junction, Port Harcourt, where a vehicle was intercepted 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,” she said.

Ms Kaborlo said preliminary investigations 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 (₦800,000.00),” she added.

The command also cautioned members of the public against accepting, transporting, or storing items whose contents are unknown, warning that doing so could inadvertently aid criminal activities.