Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Nigeria Police Force Command in Enugu State has paraded 15 suspected criminals for various offences across the state.
The offences include conspiracy, murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, unlawful possession of firearms and fraudulent acts.
The Police Public Relation Officer in the State DSP Daniel Ndukwe paraded the suspects on behalf of the Police Commissioner.
Speaking, Ndukwe said the arrests led to the rescue of seven kidnapped victims and the recovery of seven firearms, two motor vehicles, one motorcycle, one dagger, cash sum of N701,000.00 and other incriminating exhibits
He said the suspects, all males, were arrested in separate operations carried out by Police Operatives of the Command, with support from other security forces and law-abiding citizens.
“Accordingly, Operatives of Anti-Cultism Squad of the Command, on 26/06/2023 at about 2.am, acting on a tip-off, carried out a raid operation in a hotel (name withheld) along Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway and arrested one Ali Jubril aged 25, a native of Kogi State.
“The suspect is reasonably suspected to be a member of a kidnapping gang, while the total sum of N701,000.00, which he could not give satisfactory account of, and one one dagger, were recovered from him.
“Further discreet investigation is ongoing at the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Command,” Ndukwe said.
He said further that Police Operatives of the Command, serving in Igbo-Eze North Division, with active assistance from Forest Guard and Neighbourhood Watch Group, on 25/06/2023 at about 1pm, rescued four (4) kidnapped victims (two males and two females, names withheld), after an intense gun fight with the kidnappers in a forest at Aishi-Ette in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area.
“The kidnappers, most of whom escaped with varying degrees of gunshot wounds, abandoned the victims due to the superior firepower of the Operatives.
“However, one of the victims sustained a gunshot wound in his left thigh during the duel, but was moved to the hospital, is responding to treatment and in stable condition; while others and all the Operatives returned unscathed,” he said.
Accordingly to him, the victims were reported to have been kidnapped at Umuopu village, along Ette/Ogugu Road, on 23/06/2023 at about 9.30 pm, on their way to Obollo-Afor, Enugu State from Ankpa, Kogi State, with the hoodlums said to have demanded ransom of N10,000,000.00 for each of them.
“Also, acting on a tip-off, Police Operatives of the Command serving in Adani Police Division, in a Joint Operation with Troops of the Nigerian Army Enugu, Forest Guards and the Neighbourhood Watch Group, on 25/06/2023 at about 6pm, rescued a woman and her child, alleged to have been kidnapped at Ngene-Ukwu, along Adani-Opanda Road.
“The Joint Team is still on the trail of the suspected kidnappers.
“In a different case, acting on credible information on alleged attempted armed robbery, Police Operatives serving in Awkunanaw Division of the Command, in synergy with the Neighbourhood Watch Group, on 22/06/2023 at about 1.30pm, arrested one male suspect, Danjuma Mohammed aged 21, at New Gariki Cattle Market, and recovered one (1) locally fabricated pistol from him,” he said.
The PPRO said discreet investigation to apprehend his cohorts at large and recover more exhibits was ongoing.
He said further that following receipt of distress information on alleged kidnapping at Api-Opi, along Enugu/Opi/Nsukka Road, on 19/06/2023 at about 6pm, Police Operatives serving in Umabor Division of the Command, immediately mobilized to the scene and while combing the forest, they rescued a female victim (names withheld), who had escaped from the kidnappers.
“However, while still at the scene, the Operatives sighted and arrested two male suspects: Sani Usman aged 25 and Landi Usman aged 30, both from Sokoto State, who the rescued victim identified as members of the kidnapping gang.
“The motorcycle they rode to the scene was recovered, while the case is undergoing further discreet investigation and tactical operational actions at the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Command,” Ndukwe stated.
He said that on 18/06/2023, Police Operatives serving in Abakaliki Road Division, acting on credible information, busted a one chance armed robbery, abduction, rape and fraud syndicate, and arrested the following suspects: The suspects are: “Uche Nnanna Ede aged 21, of Ugbawka, Nkanu East LGA, Paschal Chukwu aged 25, of Nomeh in Nkanu East LGA, Moses Uchechukwu Nnaji aged 20, of Agbani in Nkanu West LGA, and Joshua Okonkwo aged 22, of Ugbawka, Nkanu East LGA.
“Their arrest is as a result of the Operatives tactical response to series of complaints, alleging that the suspects used commercial mini buses to abduct their unsuspecting victims within Enugu metropolis, particularly young females, to secluded locations, where they robbed, raped and transferred sums of money out of their bank accounts at gunpoint.
“One (1) Pump Action gun was recovered from them.
“The suspects confessed to the crime and have been identified by some of their victims.”
He urged other victims to come forward to further identify them, even as the citizenry, especially young ladies and other vulnerable persons, are urged to be security conscious and wary of where, when and how they board commercial vehicles.
He said that Police Operatives serving in Emene Police Division of the Command, on 20/06/2023 at about 7.20am, while on routine stop and search duty along Ugwuomu-Nike Road, Enugu, intercepted a motorcycle and upon search conducted on the rider and his male passenger, two locally made guns and workshop tools were recovered from the passenger, one Edeh Longinus aged 47, who is physically challenged and of Ohuani-Owo in Nkanu East LGA.
Ndukwe said that preliminary investigation showed that he was a gun fabricator and runner, with workshop at Amanvu in Nkalagu community of Ebonyi State.
“Further discreet investigation is ongoing at Crack Squad Unit of the Command.
“Similarly, Police Operatives serving in Udenu Area Command of the Command, arrested one Obinna Emmanuel Nnaji aged 29, of Obollor-Afor, on 16/06/2023, for threatening violence and unlawful possession of firearm, recovering one locally made Double-barreled gun from him.
“His arrest and the recovery is sequel to a report received at the Area Command, alleging that he, on 31/05/2023 at about 5.30pm, violently threatened to shoot the complainant (names withheld), who had gone to his house in April 2023, to demand for the payment of the sum of N70,000.00 she lend to him. Further discreet investigation into the case is ongoing at the Anti-Robbery Section of the State CID Enugu.
“In a related development, Police Operatives serving in Nkanu East Division, working with members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group, on 21/03/2023, arrested one Chiemerie Edeh aged 22, at Ishi-Ogbo Nara in Nkanu East LGA, and recovered one (1) locally made pistol from him.
“His arrest was due to a complaint alleging that he violently threatened the complainant on the said day.
“The suspect and the exhibit were transferred to the Anti-Robbery Section of the State CID Enugu, from where further discreet investigation led to the recovery of two (2) more locally made guns from him, ” he said.
