Police arrest, parade 40 criminal suspects in Enugu

By RALPH EDE

Enugu Command of the Nigerian Police Force has arrested 40 criminal suspects for various offences.

Parading the suspects at the Command’s headquarters on Friday, the Commissioner, Mohammed Aliyu, said they were arrested from across the state for conspiracy, armed robbery, child stealing, unlawful possession of firearms and cultism.

Aliyu who attributed the achievement recorded to interagency collaboration and information sharing, however, warned criminals to leave the state as he declared that there would be no hiding place for them under his Command.

He said, “During our last meeting, I told you that we are making conscious efforts to put in place policing strategies that we require to effectively police the state, in view of maintaining public security. It will interest you to know that these strategies have resulted in successes.

“Today, the Command has successfully arrested a total of 38 male and two female suspects for their involvement in the offences of conspiracy, armed robbery, child stealing, unlawful possession of firearms and cultism.

“This was as a result of sustained synergy with sister security agencies, the neighbourhood watch group, security stakeholders and law-abiding citizens of the state.”

Items recovered according to the Commissioner include 11 firearms, five expended ammunition (.9mm and .22mm calibre), four live cartridges, one expended cartridge, two empty magazines, 12 vehicles, three tricycles, one motorcycle, one military camouflage jacket.

The Commissioner added, “Five ATM cards of different banks, three television sets, one LG DVD Player with remote, one laptop, 15 mobile phones of different types/makes, 36 SIM cards of different networks, two power banks, one Sweet-Home Water Heater appliance, one international passport, one national identity card.”

Also recovered include “some quantity of weeds suspected to be Indian Hemp and substance suspected to be cocaine.”

Meanwhile, among those paraded were 16 members of Aro Mates and Eiye Confraternity who were engaged in a bloody cult war for the passed one week.

He gave their names as Eneh Chizoba (m) aged 40, of Ugwuaji, Enugu; Ugwu Nnanna (m) aged 38, of Ugwuaji, Enugu; Eneh Chibuike (m) aged 45, of Ugwuaji, Enugu; Egbo Chimezie (m) aged 31, of Ugwuaji, Enugu; Ani Sunday (m) aged 25, of No. 15 Old Artisan Quarters, Ogui, Enugu; Chinonso Nnaji (m) aged 24, of Obuofia Akagbe, Enugu; Ani Friday (m) aged 26, of New Garriki, Enugu; Uwa Chinaza (m) aged 20, of Emene, Enugu; Isreal Opoke (m) aged 22, of New Garriki, Enugu; Kelvin Ukadike (m) aged 30, of No. 6, Asubo Street, Independence Layout, Enugu; Isaac Chidera Ekene (m) aged 28, of Nwaforani Street, Garriki Awkunanaw, Enugu ; Ani Obinna (m) aged 28, of No. 6 Ezila Street Trans-Ekulu, Enugu; Ndubuisi Onyedikachi (m) aged 22, of Ugba Village Emene, Enugu; Edeh Chigbogu Emeka (m), aged 22, of Oye-Emene, Enugu; Chinecherem Chibuzo (m), aged 22, of No. 22 Rehab Road, Emene, Enugu, and Arum Chukwuebuka (m) aged 21, of Police Post, Trans-Ekulu, Enugu.

He said they were arrested between March 12 and 14, 2021, through a combined effort of operatives attached to Anti-Cultism Squad, Crack Squad, Anti-Kidnapping Squad and Police Divisions in the Command.

He said, “Their arrest was sequel to credible information received about bloody clashes between two rival cult groups namely the Black Axe and Vikings Confraternity, which led to the gruesome murder of the alleged leader/executioner of Vikings Confraternity on the night of 12/03/2021, at Railway Quarters, Njamanze Ogui, Enugu.

“The suspects, who all confessed to being members of the above-mentioned rival cult groups, were arrested in different black-spots in New Garriki, Holy-Ghost, Obiagu, Ugwuaji and old Artisan Ogui areas of the metropolis. The suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigation is completed.”

When interviewed, they confessed to belonging to one cult group or the other but noted that they had earlier renounced their membership of the cult groups.

(The PUNCH)