The Imo State Police Command on Wednesday said it arrested 88 kidnap suspects, 41 armed robbery suspects, 24 child-trafficking suspects, recovered 7 children, 8 stolen vehicles, 32 live arms and rescued 16 kidnapped victims between September 2, 2015 and January 18, 2016.
The Commissioner of Police, CP, Mr. Taiwo Lakanu, in parading the suspects at the police headquarters on Wednesday, said the operatives of the anti-kidnapping unit of the command also arrested four notorious kidnap suspects that kidnapped and murdered one Mrs. Ogo Omereji.
Lakanu said the late Omereji who was aged 68, was kidnapped by the gang in her farm at Awara area of the state, killed and buried in a shallow grave after collecting a ransom of N510, 000.
The CP identified the suspects as Peter Obido, 28, Sunday Uchenna, 28, Emeka Chinedu, 27, and Gift Emeka, 26, all of Awara in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of the state.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to have kidnapped, tortured to death and subsequently buried the victim’s corpse in a shallow grave in a forest even after they had collected a ransom of N510, 000 from the victim’s immediate family.
“The suspects led the operatives to the forest, where they buried her, whose remains have been exhumed and released to the immediate family for proper burial after autopsy.
“The anti-kidnapping unit of the command smashed another notorious syndicate involved the kidnap of a civil commissioner in the state,” the CP confirmed.
He said the suspects, Arinze John Ibeabu, 43 of Nkwuakwuma Akata in Oru West LGA of the state and Joseph Olakunle, 53, of Ekole in Ekiti North LGA of Ekiti State abducted the victim from her residence on October 11, 2015.
Lakanu said, “The suspects sent several threat text messages demanding for ransom from the victims and were subsequently nabbed. They were giving useful information disclosing the identities of other gang members, who are still at large as efforts are being intensified to get them apprehended.”
In a related development, the CP said operatives of the command arrested one Amaji Uju, 26, of Umuagwu Mgbishi in Ohaji / Egbema LGA for his alleged involvement in two kidnap cases and armed robbery.
“Uju’s gang operates around Nkraha junction along Owerri-Port Harcourt road. In one of his robbery operations, he shot and injured a Police Inspector. Some of his gang members are already in prison.”
“The command has also recovered a Toyota Camry with regulation numbers BJ 872 YAB, snatched from one Professor Vincent Imo of INRI Microfinance Bank Uturu in Abia State and a Honda Pilot jeep numbered PTN 34 TA, whose owner was kidnapped in Abia State,” the Commissioner recounted, adding that the suspects would soon appear in court.
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