The Ebonyi State Police Command on Friday paraded about 19 suspects for criminal offences ranging from kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery, vandalism, car snatching among other offences, in the state.
Five suspected kidnappers that abducted one Barr. Igwe Chigozie at a gunpoint in front of his residence at Goddy Ogbaga Avenue in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital, were among those apprehended.
Briefing journalists at the Police Headquarters, Abakaliki, the State Police Commissioner, CP Awosola Awotinde said that the victim was kidnapped in his Toyota Corolla car with Reg number KRD 444 FE and taken to an unknown destination.
CP Awotinde said that operatives of Anti-kidnapping wing of Operation Puff Adder immediately swung into action as the victim was rescued at Ukwuachi along Abakaliki/Enugu Express road.
He stated that the kidnappers made away with the victim’s Samsung Galaxy Prime Core handset, his Toyota Corolla car and a cash sum of N2,500 adding that on the 19th of May, 2019, one Chibueze Okpara, a 33 year-old member of the kidnap gang was arrested at Nkwegu Army barracks’ Mammy market by operatives of puff adder.
The CP noted the arrest of Okpara led the police team to Enugu state where the kidnapper’s kingpin and other members of the gang namely Chinedu Okorie 31, Chibuzor Onyia Onuigbo, 30, Agbo Emmanuel, 31 and Taoreed Folawewo, 39 were arrested at different locations.
According to the CP, items recovered from the gang included, one locally made revolver pistol with two live AK 47 ammunition, one expended ammunition used during the operation and a total number of seven cars.
The cars recovered included, Toyota Corolla with Reg number, NCA 990 AA, Mercedes Bemz S320 with Reg. number, AQ 01 AAA, Toyota Avalon XLE with Reg number ENU 302 EQ, Toyota Corolla with Reg number MA 08 APP.
Others are Innoson jeep with Reg number NKE 719 EV, Ford Escape with Reg number FGE 415 TN and Honda Odyssey with Reg number ENU 905 RA.
The Commissioner of Police, during the briefing, said on 31st of May, 2019, one Friday Irem, a 30 year-old male, was attacked by a group of dreaded cultists/armed bandits, who invaded and inflicted several machete cuts and abandoned him in the pool of his own blood.
According to the CP, upon receipt of the information, operatives of Operation Puff Adder moved to the scene, rescued the victim and rushed him to the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, where he was however confirmed dead and his body deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy.
Suspects arrested included, Itumo Henry, Akoshi Chidera, Anthony Nwite, Onyebuchi Nwokporo, Usulor Sunday, Samuel Ngwuta, Abah Chukwudi Peter while the items recovered from them included, three cutlasses and two axes.
The CP said on the 1st of June 2019, in a reprisal attack by rival group, one Ifeanyi Alegu was traced and murdered at Onueke. The corpse was also recovered and deposited at the same hospital mortuary and the perpetrators, who were later identified to be AYES/Vikings confraternity were arrested.
Those arrested includes, one Igwe Uchenna, Chukwu Eusebius, Usulor Augustine and Ugama Sunday.
The CP also revealed that on the 11st of May 2019, men of the Operation Puff Adder, while on stop and search at Amasiri along market junction Afikpo North LGA, arrested one Uro Ifeanyichukwu, 21 year-old man of Ezekwu Ezeke community and one locally made pistol was recovered from him.
CP Awotinde said that the total of arms and ammunition recovered by the command includes nine locally made long gun, one English Barretta pistol, one G.P.M.G riffle mouth, six English pump action, two locally made pistol and one expanded AK 47 ammunition.
The CP called on the owners of the recovered cars to come forward with genuine proof of ownership to claim them adding that the command remains unwavering in its total determination and commitment at ridding the State of all form of crimes and criminalities.
He commended the State Governor, Chief David Umahi for his continued support in the area of provision of logistics and other wherewithal in the effort to keep crime at its lowest ebb in the state.