By Leonard Okachie
Umuahia – The Abia Police Command has arrested 47 criminal suspects, including 22-year-old Ihechi Ogbonna, who allegedly disguised herself and attempted to abduct two children in Olokoro Umuahia.
The Commissioner of Police, Janet Agbede, said this on Wednesday, while briefing newsmen on the command’s achievements in crime prevention since she assumed office on April 24.
Agbede said that the suspect, who hail from Ohanze in Obingwa Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, moved into Olokoro, where she stayed for about two weeks before carrying out her criminal act.
“She stayed in the community between one and two weeks but had no accommodation.
“Within the period, she monitored the house of one Benjamin Christopher located at Amaukwu Umuopara Ozara Olokoro Umuahia.
“On August 18, while the man and his wife were away, the suspect entered their house, dressed up in the woman’s wears and disguised herself as the mother of the children.
“Having disguised herself and looking like the woman, she lured the two children, Chidiebube and Chinonso, out of the house.
“Luck however ran out on her when youths of the area intercepted her while she was attempting to escape with the children and some personal effects of their mother,” the police boss said.
She said that the youths immediately apprehended her and handed her over to a police patrol team in the area.
In an interview with newsmen, the suspect admitted that she was caught with the children, adding that she wore the woman’s dress because her own was dirty.
She said that she was in the community for a church activity, when the incident happened and that she was attracted to the house by a guava fruit in the compound.
“When I saw the guava fruit, I went to pluck some because I was hungry. Later I decided to go into the house and when I was going, the children followed me,” Ogbonna said.
The police chief further said that the command arrested two men, Victor Onyekaci, 23, and Emmanuel Okorie, 25, who were allegedly hired to assassinate one Mark Ogbonna, a politician from Isuikwuato LGA.
She said that Ogbonna had alleged in his petition that the suspects, who were dressed in military uniforms, attacked and dispossessed him of his valuables in his house on July 16.
She said that the suspects, who were arrested in Imo, where they rented a apartment after the operation, allegedly robbed the man of N400,000 Samsung Galaxy phone, N48,500 Infinix phone, plus N457,000.
“The suspects have confessed to the crime and claimed that they were sent by one Uche (surname unknown) to assassinate the complainant,” Agbede said.
She said that the command was making frantic efforts to arrest the kingpin and also recover the stolen items.
She also said that the command arrested 29-year-old Chika Obinna and 25-year-old Nancy Chris for allegedly belonging to a syndicate that specialised in snatching motorcycles at gunpoints.
The police commissioner also said that operatives of the command, togetber with local vigilance group and youths of Amokwe and Item communities, arrested 14 alleged members of Vikings and Aro fraternity on Monday.
Agbede also spoke on the efforts of the police force to discipline erring personnel, especially those involved in the shooting to death of some innocent residents in Aba and Ohafia.
She said that the operative involved in the recent Aba killing, who dropped his gun and escaped, later surrendered himself, even after the command placed a N5 million ransom on him.
She said that all the operatives involved in the recent reckless killings in Abia had been arrested, detained, given orderly room trial and dismissed.
She said they would soon be charged to court, in addition to all the 47 suspects so far arrested and undergoing investigation. (NAN)
