The Imo State Police Command says it has arrested a total of 179 criminal suspects for various offences, including armed robbery, kidnapping, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, rape, cultism, stealing, receiving stolen property, obtaining money under false pretences, terrorism-related offences linked to suspected IPOB/ESN elements, and murder.
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The State Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, disclosed this while briefing 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 said the arrests followed painstaking investigations and intelligence-led operations by operatives of the command aimed at ridding the state of all forms of crime, criminality, and terrorism activities.He stated that during 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.
The police commissioner further disclosed that some of the suspects had been arraigned in court, while others were still undergoing detailed investigation.According to him, 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. He also revealed that 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.
