Five vehicles have been recovered and 15 suspects arrested within a week as the police in Abia stepped up efforts to reduce crimes in the state.
The recovered vehicles were identified by the police as Toyota Lexus SUV, Nissan Pathfinder SUV, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Hilux, and a Tricycle.
Offences of the arrested suspects were listed by Abia State commissioner of police (CP), Mr. Adeleye Oyebade, during a media briefing on June 15, at the state police headquarters, Umuahia.
Oyebade said, “Men of the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) on patrol, responding to a radio message from the control room at about 2:15am on June 9, recovered one Toyota Lexus Jeep with registration number FST 202 ER, black in colour, which occupants abandoned during a hot chase by the CTU patrol team and ran into the bush at Agalaba Road in Osisioma. Effort is intensified toward the arrest of the fleeing hoodlums.
“On June 9, 2017, at about 12:20pm, one Navy Blue Nissan Pathfinder Jeep with registration number ABM 297 FK, was snatched from Pastor Chinonso James of Omoba by four armed men within the early hours. The car was recovered by a patrol team attached to Omoba Division along with one Toyota Highlander Jeep with registration number WWR 275 SV. It is suspected to be the operational vehicle of the hoodlums. Effort is in progress to arrest the suspects.”
According to Oyebade, one locally made pistol and a pump action rifle were found buried in the ground, when operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad attached to the Area Command Headquarters, Umuahia raided the houses of one Ugochukwu Okereke of Umeremeze Village Nkwoegwu and Obilor Icha of Umueze Road Umuahia, following a tip off on June 6, 2017 at about 9pm.
Officers from Central Police Station, Aba, also arrested two men and recovered a big SUMEC generator allegedly stolen from a U.S. based Ahiazu Mbaise man, identified as Emeka Ikeafuama alias Tuma Wowowo.
Those arrested in connection with the theft were named as 20-year-old Chibuike Nwoke of Umuduruji Obohia Ahiazu Mbaise Imo State and 29-year-old Chukwuebuka Okafor of Umuezechi Bende L.G.A in Abia.
The CP said that operatives attached to Ndiegoro Division also arrested one Chidera Nwachukwu for stealing a Laptop belonging to one Jolly Ledesi of the Nigerian Army whose Military uniform, the suspect had sometime stolen and used in robbery incidents.
“It is apposite to state that the suspect had earlier escaped in a reported case of armed robbery, murder and impersonation sometime in March, 2017,” Oyebade said.
Suspected cultists were also on the list of those arrested. They were allegedly arrested on June 10, following a report at Area Command, Aba, that cultists numbering up to 14 besieged a compound in Egbelu Street, Aba, with arms and axe.
“Consequent upon the report, operatives of Anti-Kidnapping Section attached to Area Command, Aba swung into action and arrested five boys and two girls. They recovered two locally made pistols and weeds suspected to be Indian hemp in the process,” Oyebade said.
He also mentioned the case of one suspect who was allegedly operating in military fatigue.
The suspect was arrested with a suspected female accomplice, after the police received a report from one of the victims who was allegedly robbed by three men and a woman along Uzuakoli Road at Umuahia on June 11.
Based on the report, one Nwadi Paul was arrested by combined efforts of patrol teams of 28PMF and Central Police Station Umuahia.
“The fake soldier identified as Okezie Chukwuebuka was arrested with one Gift Johnson, a female member of the gang and the following items were recovered from them: Two pairs of Army camouflage uniform, Two Itel phones, Cash sum of N23, 000, UBA cheque leaves belonging to Uwajumogu Ikechukwu, Fidelity Bank and Skye Bank cheque leaves belonging to Eni Virginia Enyinnaya, One Peace Corps ID card for Nwadi Paul, One UBA ATM card belonging to John Oluchi, One Diamond Bank ATM card belonging to Paul Nwadi; two wraps of weed suspected to be Indian hemp, four passport photographs of Paul Nwadi, and one voter’s card of Paul Nwadi. The suspects confessed to being members of a gang terrorizing Umuahia residents and dispossessing them of their valuables,” Oyebade said.
He added that officers attached to Ugwunagbo Division recovered one white Toyota Hilux van marked FKJ 853 BH in a bush at Umugwu Umuodo village, Ugwunagbo, on June 13.
“Documents found inside the vehicle indicated that the Hilux Van belong to one Colonel Orire Nikiro (rtd). His phone number was also seen on the documents. The Officer was contacted through the phone number, and he disclosed that the vehicle was removed from where it was parked on Sunday, June 11, 2017, in Elimbi Rivers State. Investigation conducted so far has confirmed that the incident took place in Rivers State Command,” he said.
Reporters were also told that on June 14, at about 10:30am, a gang of kidnappers abducted a man later identified as Fredrick Osuya of Rainbow Feeds Nigeria Limited. He was riding in a Black Toyota Corolla car, somewhere in Ogbor-Hill, Aba at the time.
Newsmakersng learnt that the Commander, Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), in Aba, swung into action when he was alerted. He led a team of operatives to Umuokeonyi Village, Obingwa, where the hostage was kept.
The suspected kidnappers, however, escaped and abandoned their hostage, when they sighted the Police team.
A search of the area allegedly led to the recovery of one cut to size locally made double barrel gun, one locally made revolver and five live cartridges.
One 19-year-old Chibuike Onyema is also in police with a motorcycle that was allegedly used in armed robbery operation, on May 19 at BENVICK Filling Station, Obehie.
He was arrested by operatives of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad attached to Obehie Division, after the arrest of one 23-year-old Eziaha Joshua of Umuowa Ikpoku Ukwa West and a member of the three man gang on June 3, at about 2pm.
The suspects, identified as members of a three man gang, allegedly confessed to have robbed one Ezeudu Chinasa of BENVICK Filling Station of her Itel phone valued at N180, 000, one wristwatch and a bag containing one Holy Bible on May 19, when they were said to be armed with locally made pistol and kitchen knife while riding on a motorcycle. The police have recovered the Itel GSM phone snatched from the victim.
A patrol team attached to Eziama Division on Stop and Search duty at Omuma Road, in Aba, also intercepted one 30-year-old Chimankpa Uweregbu of Ikembara Ikeduru, in Imo State, with a Tricycle bearing fleet number AB/MOT/ABA 28561, suspected to have been stolen.
The other occupant allegedly escaped on sighting the Police team, while the operator was arrested.
Newsmakersng learnt that a master-key was recovered from the suspect during a search on him.
The owner, one Michael Jude of Degema, in Aba, later told the police that the tricycle was removed from where it was parked.
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