Abia State Police Command has paraded a dismissed Police officer identified as Felix Nwogugu after being arrested by the operatives of the Police command for allegedly dealing in arms and ammunition racketeering.
The State Police commissioner, Mr. Ene Okon who confirmed the arrest in a statement issued to journalists, disclosed that the dismissed officer was nabbed by its personnel in connection with a case of armed robbery in the state.
Okon added that the surveillance patrol team of Isiala Ngwa Area Command in the state, while on patrol in the area sighted two suspected hoodlums operating on motorcycle on the Isiala Ngwa axis of the Eungu Port Harcourt express way.
According to the state police boss, the suspects on sighting the Police detectives of the command, jumped out of the motorcycle and fled into the bush and abandoned a bag on the motorcycle.
The Police boss revealed that the Police team gave the suspects a hot chase that led to the eventual arrest of one of the gang members identified as Chiedozie Martins, a native of Umunkpeyi Mbawsi, in Isiala Ngwa North LGA.
He added that when a search was carried on an abandoned bag, they were able to retrieve a locally made Revolver pistol with three yet-to-be expended live bullets.
He stated, “The suspect confessed to their nefarious activities which led the investigation and arrest of one Felix Nwogugu a dismissed policeman who supplies them with Ammunition. Investigation is still in process to arrest of other members of the gang.
Nwogugu however confessed to the crime in an interview with our correspondent. He said he gave the gun to martins to provide security for himself while on election duty.
He said, “The gun is my own, but I had no need of it again, that was why I gave it to martins to protect himself during the election period.
“I told him to dispose the gun after the election but he did not listen to my advice, which was how we landed into trouble.
Also Martins admitted that he acquired the gun to protect himself from attacks from some political thugs that allegedly invaded his community from Agulaeri in Anambra State.
He said, “I asked Nwogugu to give me the gun for my safety during the election, but when the election was over I kept the gun because I wanted to be using it to protect myself.”