UMUAHIA – The Police in Abia State on Wednesday said it had arrested no fewer than 23 suspected armed robbers, kidnappers and child traffickers from different parts of the state.
The state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Adamu Ibrahim, who confirmed the arrest at a news conference, said the suspects were already assisting the police in investigation.
He listed items recovered from the hoodlums to include one short double-barrel gun, two live cartridges, seven Nokia phones, five laptops, two generating sets, one digital camera and three tricycles.
Ibrahim said the arrest was made possible “due to our proactive efforts and machinery put in place to checkmate crime and criminality in the state.”
The police boss explained that among the suspects were members of a kidnapping syndicate, which had operated in the state since 2012.
He said the police had been on their trail since March 12, adding that the syndicate was involved in a foiled kidnap of one Chief Patrick Ezeugwu and the robbery of traders in Aba.
“Upon a hot chase by the police, they abandoned a keke NAPEP with the sum of N1.47million and a locally-made double-barrel gun.’’
The commissioner said that the suspects would soon appear in court.
He said that two undergraduates, Ike Akobundu and Joel Sunday, who were said to specialise in the stealing of laptops from hostels at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, were also arrested.
Akobundu, 19, told newsmen that he went into stealing to be able to pay his school fees and those of his siblings and also support his widow mother.
The police chief said that two suspected human traffickers were also arrested after the police raided a maternity home at Umuabuwa Village in Osisioma, near Aba, where they allegedly kept pregnant women until they were delivered.
He said that the two pregnant women, Chidinma Okeke and Ozuchi Chinasa, were rescued during the raid.
The police boss also said that one Adetonye Olutonye was arrested on March 28 in Aba with two pupils of a primary and nursery school.
Ibrahim said that the children were abducted by Olutonye while returning from school.
The commissioner said that the kids had been released to their parents, while investigations into the matter would continue. (NAN)
