Tony Icheku in Owerri
The Imo State Police Command yesterday stated that it has arrested one person and impounded several weapons and ammunition in continuation of the manhunt for the kidnappers of a traditional ruler, Eze Samuel Ohiri, last Saturday in the state.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Henry Okoye, in a statement said: “Police operatives in robust synergy with the military had stormed a suspected camp at Ihite Owerre, in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, and arrested one suspect while others escaped with gunshot injuries after a protracted gunfight with the terrorists.”
According to him, the police stormed the camp allegedly belonging to the IPOB/ESN following the kidnapping of Mr. Sabinus Ugwuebu, a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officer, and HRH Eze Ohiri.
The PPRO added that one pump action gun, two double barrel guns, two single barrel guns, 54 rounds of live cartridges, military uniforms, six motorcycles, a box containing locally made explosives, and road safety uniforms of the kidnapped officer were recovered during the search.
He said a concerted investigative effort is in progress to arrest the fleeing suspects and possibly rescue the kidnapped victims, adding that they will be arraigned upon the completion of the investigation.
Also, the state Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, had deployed the Command’s Special Tactical Squad to go all out in synergy with the military and other sister security agencies and hunt down the hoodlums responsible for his kidnap.
Eze Ohiri, the traditional ruler of Orodo Autonomous Community and former chairman of Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, according to witnesses, was whisked away by gunmen in the early hours of last Saturday from his residence in Orodo, Mbaitoli LGA of Imo State.
