The Imo state police Command has paraded suspects involved in all sorts of crimes ranging from murder, kidnapping, unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, EEDC cable vandalization, receiving of stolen properties, car snatching,
Child trafficking, and IPOB/ ESN Terrorism.
Addressing newsmen in a press conference, the state Commissioner for Police, CP Mohammed Ahmed Barde said the command has made several arrest on suspected criminals as the command has employ workable administrative and operational strategies to combat crimes in the state while ensuring the safety of lives and properties.
The CP represented by the Police public relations Officer ASP Henry Okoye said,
“In the course of investigating the aforesaid cases, A total of 32 Assault riffles made up of Two (2) AK47 rifles, Fifteen (15) Pump Action Guns, Two (2) cut-to-size locally made guns, Eleven (11) locally made pistols and Two (2) Double Barrel Guns were recovered from these suspects. Also recovered from the suspects include One Hundred (100) rounds of live cartridges, Seventy (70) rounds of AK47 ammunition. Five (5) snatched but recovered vehicles and Seven (7) motorcycles were retrieved from the car snatchers, kidnappers, and criminal suspects. Fifteen (15) kidnap victims were rescued”.
The police spokesman further disclosed that the command dislodged IPOB & ESN Unlawful sit at home Enforcers who were operating around Irete in Owerri
According to the spokesman, “in a swift response to a distress call received from a civic-minded resident of the State on 9/07/2023, that sit-at-home enforcers suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB and its armed affiliate were sighted in a certain Hotel (name withheld), situated at Catering bus stop, Free Zone, Irete shooting sporadically and attacking individuals who are having a good time and celebrating a birthday in the Hotel, Operatives of the Command’s Tactical team in a joint operation with the mobile operatives of 18PMF swiftly mobilized to the scene”.
Narrating the ideal the PPRO maintained that “a lifeless body who was later identified as Remigius Emeka Njoku ‘m’, a relative to the celebrant was seen lying on the floor in his pool of blood.
The outlawed IPOB&ESN unlawful sit-at-home enforcers immediately opened fire on sighting the Police Operatives but were overwhelmed by the dexterity, stiff resistance, and superior firepower of the Police operatives forcing them to flee to the adjourning bushes with various degrees of gunshot injuries. On combing the hotel and nearby bushes, traces of blood stains were seen which heavily suggest that some of these Terrorists were fatally hit by the Police Operative. On combing the hotel and the nearby bushes One AK47 riffle, 48 rounds of live ammunition, four pump action guns, 18 rounds of live cartridges, two (2) AK47 magazines & a face mask, were recovered.
A total of 26 suspects were arrested, they are still undergoing thorough screening. The investigation is ongoing and certainly, the suspects will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of a diligent investigation”.
Also paraded were two serial kidnappers and armed suspects who were terrorising the state and it’s environs.
Daniel Uche Eke a male, who hails from Umuozu in Nwangele Local Government Area of Imo State, and John Nnaemeka AKA White.
According to the police,
“on 06/01/2023 at about 1800hrs, Four Unsuspecting victims namely; Ebuka Martins, Chidi Bright, Ugochukwu Duruigbo, and one other, were kidnapped at different locations within Imo State.
Three vehicles including a Lexus RX 350 SUV Jeep, Lexus RX 330 SUV Jeep, and a Mercedes Benz GLK belonging to the unsuspecting victims were equally snatched from them. The victims were held hostage at an unknown destination.
On receipt of this complaint, Operatives of the Command’s Tactical Team swiftly swung into action. Painstaking investigating efforts and data-tracking analysis led to the arrested of Uche Daniel Eke at Douglass Market where he wanted to dispose of some of the phones he robbed from his unsuspecting victims. His arrest led to the rescue of the kidnapped victim unhurt and the further arrest of John Nnaemeka, also known as “White”. These suspects were identified as part of the escapees during the Jail Break of the Correctional Service Custodial Centre, Owerri, an unfortunate incident that took place on the 5th of April 2021. All the arrested suspects confessed to the crime of Kidnapping/Armed Robbery. On searching their identified criminal hideout, two pump action guns with ten (10) rounds of live ammunition and the three snatched vehicles were recovered. The effort is intensified to arrest other members of this criminal syndicate. The suspects will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of a diligent investigation”.
Also a case involving the very brutal murder and harvesting of the vital body organs of one SIXTUS EZEBUDO ‘m’ who hails from Ihete-Owerre in Orlu L.G.A. of Imo State, by a 29yrs old male EMEKA EGBUABA who has since confessed that he is an Organ Trafficker.
Intelligence-led investigation and sustained follow-up to a case that was initially reported as a Missing Person led to the arrest of the 29-year-old male, Sixtus Ezebudo by Operatives of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit in his criminal hideout in Lagos State. On interrogation, the suspect confessed that On 10/05/2023 at about 1630hrs, he lured the said victim to an uncompleted building in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, killed him, and thereafter harvested his vital body organs like his lungs, heart, and private part, abandoned his corpse at the scene and escaped to Lagos State with the harvested body parts to sell for ritual purpose. The remains of the already decomposed body have since been recovered. We intend to carry out further DNA confirmatory tests on it. The suspect is here to interact with you. This is not a crime of passion but a clear deliberate and premeditated murder. The case will be charged to court.
The state police command disclosed that it is on top of the matter to apprehend those parading themselves in a video on the social media warning people to obey the sit at home order
According to the police, “it’s pertinent to State that Imo Police Command is aware of the videos that surfaced last weekend on various social media platforms where unrepentant and subversive criminal syndicates suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate Eastern Security Network (ESN) were seen shooting sporadically and attacking residents in Irete and Amakoyah with the sole aim of creating apprehension amongst the populace and forcing them to obey an unlawfully imposed sit-at-home order by IPOB/ESN disgruntled elements who are hell-bent on disturbing the socio-economic activities of the masses and bringing untold hardship to the good people of this State’. “The Commissioner of Police assertively states that the Command is on top of the situation.
The sit-at-home enforcers sighted along the said axis and other areas in the State were given a hot chase by Police operatives forcing them to flee with various degrees of gunshot injuries. More so, adequate proactive security measures have been emplaced to forestall future occurrences.”
The police also advised stakeholders in the state to talk to their subjects as the police will not hesitate to deal ruthlessly with any subversive criminal syndicate or individual caught enforcing the unlawful sit-at-home order or perpetrating any other form of criminality.
Also Members of the public are encouraged to disregard the unlawfully imposed sit-at-home order by criminal syndicate whose stock in trade is to create panic and go about their lawful business without any form of fear or intimidation, while remaining vigilant and swiftly report any criminally minded elements seen enforcing the unlawful sit-at-home order or carrying out other nefarious activities to the nearest police station or through their emergency room numbers.
