The Police Command in Enugu State has arrested 15 suspected criminals for their alleged involvement in various crimes in the state and across the country.
The Command also within three weeks recovered four locally-made guns, four live cartridges, 13 handsets, three vehicles, one tricycle and an English Sword from suspects.
Presenting the suspects in Enugu on Tuesday to newsmen, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Ahmad Abdurrahman, said arrest of the suspects followed intelligence information and collaboration with other security agencies.
Abdurrahman noted that the command made the arrest within three weeks in various locations within and outside the state.
He said that within the period under review, the command through painstaking intelligence was able to bust a 7-man armed robbery gang network in the country.
“This group, whose members were arrested in Lagos, Port Harcourt, FCT, Aba and Enugu, has been terrorising and snatching vehicles all along within the state and move them to other parts of the country for sales.
“The Command through its intelligence operatives and the Independence Layout Police Division travelled to most parts of the country to round-up this well networked criminal group.
“The items recovered from the suspects included; a Toyota Corolla; a Toyota Spider Camry Car, one Honda Odessey, one locally-made pistol and one English Sword,’’ he said.
The commissioner said that three suspects were also arrested for conspiracy and armed robbery as well as disturbing the peace of Umuebi community in Udi Local Government Area.
Abdurrahman said that police operatives also arrested one Pastor Chukwuemeka Ezeh, for alleged murder of his girl-friend and church-member within the Railway axis of Enugu metropolis.
He noted that Ezeh allegedly murdered the girl and carted away all her belongings and a cash of N2 million.
“The command also arrested a 75-year-old man, one Boniface Onoja, for allegedly defiling an 11-year-old girl within the premises of Community Secondary School, Ogbunite in Igboeze North Local Government Area,’’ he said.
The commissioner, however, solicited for the cooperation of residents by promptly reporting suspicious persons and objects within their neighbourhoods to the nearest police station.