At least 45 suspected criminals,including kidnapping suspects, armed robbers, recovery of firearms were some achievement recorded in the three weeks’ operation of the special squad deployed to Kogi State by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase.
This was disclosed to newsmen at the command headquarters in Lokoja, Kogi State capital, by Force Public Relations Officer, Mr Emmanuel Ojukwu, yesterday.
Flanked by Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Mr Samuel A. Ogunjelusi, and CP Chris Ezike, of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ojukwu said that consequent upon the report of an upsurge in the activities of armed bandits, kidnappers, social miscreants and hoodlums in Kogi, the IGP ordered immediate rescue mission in the state.
He said that the success of the task force in the state in less than three weeks of operation informed the decision to appreciate the officers and men of the force who, with the cooperation of the state governor, had brought the criminality to manageable levels.
Ojukwu said the directive of IGP included to appreciate the worrisome crime situation in Kogi State and design a template to contain the situation, identify all criminal syndicates, their leaders, sponsors and foot soldiers, and carry out sporadic raids of their houses, homes and hideouts. He said these had been achieved with a huge success.
Recovered in the operation were one AK 47 rifle with 13 rounds of live ammunition, 1 single-barrel gun with two rounds of live cartridges and ATM cards of different banks recovered from one Sunday Omouya, a.k.a. Cat Sunny Moscow, who killed a policeman on duty.
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Also, seven vehicles made of Jeeps, Toyota and Honda cars were recovered, according to Emmanuel Ojukwu, who noted that since the operation started, Auchi -Okene-Lokoja road, Ajaokuta-Lokoja road, and Kabba-Obajana highways had recorded respite.
He urged the people to always give useful information to help the police in controlling crime.
However, a suptegenarian, Major Alih Abdullahi (retd) told reporters that he never supplied any ammunition to the alleged suspects, stating that his matter was political frame-up.
Of the 182 prison inmates who escaped from Kotokarfe Prison, one, Ibrahim Garba from Ihima, was re-arrested. He was alleged to be involved in a case of kidnapping of two children of the Speaker of Kogi House of Assembly. He was charged to court from where he escaped.