The Imo State Police Command has announced the arrest of 179 criminal suspects involved in various offenses, including armed robbery, kidnapping, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, rape, cultism, stealing, receiving stolen property, obtaining money under false pretenses, terrorism-related activities linked to suspected IPOB/ESN elements, and murder.
Commissioner's Briefing
State Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, disclosed this during a briefing to the leadership and members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Imo State Council, led by Comrade Ifeanyi Nwanguma, during a courtesy visit to the Command Headquarters in Owerri.
CP Bosso stated that the arrests were the result of painstaking investigations and intelligence-led operations by operatives of the command aimed at ridding the state of all forms of crime, criminality, and terrorism.
Recovered Items
During the investigations, the police recovered two General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), six AK-47 rifles, 10 pump-action guns, four locally fabricated single-barrel guns, one pistol, one long gun, two magazines, a large cache of assorted live ammunition, fabricated firearms, criminal charms, seven suspected stolen vehicles, a human skull, stolen motorcycles, and other incriminating items.
Legal Proceedings
The police commissioner further disclosed that some of the suspects have been arraigned in court, while others are still undergoing detailed investigation.
Major Arrests
One of the major arrests was that of a suspected commander of the proscribed Eastern Security Network (ESN), identified as Uchenna Mmaduakolam, popularly known as “Ebube Virus,” aged 43, from Ihiteafor-Ukwu in Ahiara, Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area. Bosso alleged that the suspect confessed to involvement in several violent attacks across parts of the state, including Mbaise, Ngor-Okpala, Mbano, Owerri, and Obowo local government areas.
Additionally, six suspected members of the proscribed IPOB/ESN group were arrested during separate intelligence-led operations. The suspects were identified as Gerald Oparaji, also known as “Ezemuo,” Kingsley Achi, 61, Collins Mbam Chinasa, 66, Ozioma Chima, 28, Calista Onyenso, 39, and Shedrack King, 39, a native of Warri, Delta State.
The police commissioner said the suspects were arrested following investigations into their alleged involvement in terrorism-related activities and other criminal acts within the state.
