* Arrest six robbery suspects in FCT
Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Operatives of the Nigeria Police attached to the Ebonyi State Police Command weekend killed three armed robbery suspects and intercepted 753 live ammunition of General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) concealed in a bag being transported in a commercial vehicle from Abakaliki, Ebonyi State to Umuahia in Abia State.
A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, a Commissioner of Police, said the intelligence-driven covert operation, which led to the interception and recovery of the deadly ammunition, was part of the efforts by the force to identify and crack down on criminal networks and supply chains for weapons and ammunition in and around the country.
It said a comprehensive investigation aimed at bringing to book all persons linked to the crime was ongoing.
Similarly, following investigations into the foiled bank robbery on the Onueke branch of a commercial bank in Ebonyi State, which occurred in January, 2021, Police operatives led by the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Command, on April 29, 2021, stormed the criminal hideout of suspects indicted in the investigations located at Oriuzo village in Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. The statement said the suspects on sighting the Police squad, opened fire on them.
“The police team engaged them gallantly and professionally. At the end, three members of the gang including two male and one female met their waterloo following bullet injuries sustained during the exchange of gunfire. Other suspects fled in different directions,” it said.
It said two AK-47 riffles, five pump action guns, six pistols, 50 AK-47 ammunition, 126 cartridges, Jack knives, cutlasses, and a 40-page notebook containing inventories of ammunition purchased by the gang were recovered.
The statement said a Honda Pilot Jeep with Reg. No. ABJ 163 NV used for the foiled bank robbery was also recovered by the police team.
Unrelenting in their quest to apprehend the remaining suspects, the statement said, the police team traced the suspects to a shrine where the robbers usually go for mystical powers before embarking on their robbery operations.
“Two of the suspects were eventually arrested from the supposedly safe haven, the shrine, which led to the arrest of additional three members of the gang,” it said.
The police said efforts were ongoing to arrest other fleeing members of the gang and their spiritual godfather, the chief priest of the shrine.
It said the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Usman Baba, while commending the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Police Command, CP Aliyu Garba and officers of the command for harnessing intelligence to nip the crimes in the bud, assured citizens of the renewed commitment of the force to improving public safety and combating all forms of violent crimes across the land.
Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command weekend arrested six suspects over one chance/armed robbery along Zuba and Lugbe axis.
A statement by the command said the suspects, who include Ishmael Peter, 31 and Omeka Kadiru, 20, were arrested by eagle-eyed police detectives from Zuba Division on routine patrol in the wee hours of Thursday 29 April, 2021 while attempting to dispossess their victim of her belongings.
The statement said the suspects, who paraded themselves as commercial drivers, confessed that they lured their unsuspecting victims (women) into their operational vehicle before carrying out their nefarious act.
Exhibits recovered include one red colour Toyota Corolla with reg No BWA 782 BD, one fabricated beretta pistol, six rounds of live ammunition, one player, one chisel, two ATM cards, one camouflage cap and vest.
Other exhibits recovered are three different number plates, seven human hair-weaves, 10 mobile phones, bunch of keys, two pairs of female shoes, four female hand bags, the sum N128,120.00, one invoice booklet, one lighter, six pieces of female clothes and other items.
In a related development, police operatives from Lugbe Division arrested one Emmanuel Joseph, 26, Thankgod Abam, 26; Gabriel Joshua, 27 and Ekene Nwatu, 31 for robbery.
The FCT police command said the suspects confessed to terrorising Lugbe axis using fraudulent means to dispossess unsuspecting residents of their possessions.
Exhibits recovered from the suspects include one red colour Toyota Corolla with registration number BDG 648 EZ, six plasma TVs, jewelries and several household items.
