There was jubilation at the Imo State Police Command Headquarters in Owerri on Wednesday as operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad arrested two wanted suspected armed robbers and killers.
Parading the suspects, Kachi Nwalolo, 21, and Chukwuebuka Esoga, aka Kaka, 21, the Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Ladodo, said they were operating in Nigerian Army uniform.
The CP said apart from being armed robbers, the suspects were known for killing and abducting innocent persons.
Ladodo said that apart from being on the police wanted list, the suspects had also been declared wanted by the state government.
According to him, the arrest of the suspects was a major breakthrough for the command.
He commended the SARS Commander, Victor Godfrey, and his team for what he called a professional operation.
The CP expressed optimism that residents and traders at the busy Douglas Road in Owerri would now be able to rest.
Apart from guns, the CP said a Glo SIM card and three MTN SIM cards were recovered from the suspects.
Ladodo stated, “I present to you Imo’s most wanted armed robbers and serial killers in recent times. I am happy and walking tall because of this wonderful breakthrough. I commend the SARS commander, Victor Godfrey, and his team for an exceptional job.
“The suspects have made confessional statements about their involvement in robbery and killings. We seek cooperation from members of the public in our commitment to fighting criminals to a standstill in the state.”
One of the suspects, Esoga, said he wanted to see his mother so as to apologise to her for not being “a good boy.”
The suspect, who sustained gunshot injuries, said, “Please call my mother for me. I want to apologise to her for not being a son she wanted me to be. Intimidation by Owerri people led me to crime. They were always intimidating me and taking my goods on Douglas Road before I joined crime. Please bring my mother to me, I want to apologise to her.”
Similarly, the personnel of the Enugu State Police Command have arrested 15 persons across the state for committing various offences ranging from armed robbery to murder.
Parading the suspects on Wednesday at the command headquarters, Enugu, the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmad Abdur-rahman, said the arrests were made possible through intelligence-led policing measures put in place by the command to tackle insecurity in the state.
Abdur-rahman said the reason he was sent to Enugu by the Inspector-General of Police was being fulfilled, adding, “We are striving towards reducing crime to the barest minimum through proactive measures without losing sight of the respect for human rights and the rule of law.”
He gave the breakdown of how the suspects were arrested and the offences they allegedly committed.
According to him, operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad had last Friday arrested three members of an armed robbery gang that specialised in robbing mobile money agents in the state.
The suspects, Nweke Friday, 24; Ochie Fidelis, 28; and Oluchi Chinedu, 33, allegedly robbed a Point of Sale outlet at Gariki Awkunanaw and stole the sum of N6m, which they shared among themselves, but luck ran out on them when they were arrested on September 25 by SARS operatives at their hideouts.
The CP said Chinedu, a mother of six and a widow, was arrested for conspiracy, harbouring and keeping weapons for the gang members.
Other suspects paraded by the CP were Anieberi Henry, 25; Nnanna Ojike, 29; and Anieberi Ugochukwu, 20, who hail from Umulumgbe in the Udi Local Government Area of the state, for alleged armed robbery and conspiracy.
They were said to have been terrorising the community until September 29, 2019, when they were apprehended by SARS operatives at their hideouts.
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