POLICE PARADE CRIMINAL SUSPECTS IN ANAMBRA
REPORTER: UCHE NDEKE
The Police Command in Anambra State has paraded some suspects arrested in different places for various offences across the state.
Those paraded included suspected kidnappers, armed robbers, one chance operators, car snatchers and drug dealers, who were said to have been causing nightmare to residents.
Among them was a three man gang that allegedly killed a personnel of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Awka, Mr. Osita Duruoha, in September this year.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Echeng Echeng, who briefed journalists, said on “28th September, the gang who specializes in snatching shuttle buses around Ifite-Awka pretended to be passengers and boarded a shuttle bus belonging and driven by the INEC Staff, on the pretence that they were going to Isuaniocha on an agreed fare of N3,000.
“On getting to Urum/Isuaniocha road, which is an isolated area, they ordered the driver to stop and one of the suspects, Chinedu Malachi, who was seated behind the driver used a rope to strangulate him from behind.”
The Commissioner said thereafter they dumped the corpse of the deceased in a nearby bush and drove the shuttle bus to Enugu, where they wanted to sell it but detectives from State CID were able to arrest them in Enugu and the deceased shuttle bus recovered.
“The suspects namely Nwobodo Samuel Obumneme, ( male ) aged 26 years; Malachi Chinedu Uzorchukwu ( male ) 28 years; and Ifechinachi Ogechukwu ( male) aged 28 years had since confessed to the crime and will soon be charged to court,” the Police Commissioner stated.
The Commissioner also paraded a 20 year old man, Ekenedilichukwu Okeke, who allegedly connived with his gang to kill his step mother, Mrs. Theresa Okeke, who was an Accountant with National Population Commission (NPC), with the hope of transferring one million naira from her account, after he found out her password.
Immediately the case was reported, “her step son, Ekenedilichukwu Okeke (male) aged 20 years who slept in the same house with the deceased was arrested for interrogation.
He claimed that armed robbers stormed their residence and killed his step mother. However, after an intelligence based interrogation, he eventually confessed to the crime and named his accomplices,” Mr. Echeng said.
Similarly, the command paraded two suspects, “Success Asiegbu aged 26 years from Okpanam road, Asaba and Chiemerie Okeke, 28 years of No. 6 Oga street Coker Asaba both in Delta state, who were part of a six man gang that snatched a Toyota Corolla car with Reg No. ABJ 541 DU, ash in colour along Onitsha/Enugu express way by Nkpor down flyover, from the owner, Mr. Ofoegbu Bernard of Nkwelle Ezunaka in Oyi Local Government Area and also made away with his GSM phones, Diamond Bank ATM card and his other belongings.”
Mr. Echeng narrated that the same day at about 2:30pm, through Data analysis, tracking and intelligence, the vehicle was tracked down to a Hotel in Awada Area and two suspects were arrested.
He said upon interrogation, they confessed to the crimes of armed robbery, Kidnapping and car snatching.
The vehicle in question was said to have been recovered to the station together with the Diamond Bank ATM card belonging to the victim, which was recovered from one of the suspects.
Consequently on rigorous interrogation, one of the suspects opened up and led detectives to Omagba Phase II where one Toyota Camry 2.4 model was also recovered.
“On the strength of further interrogation on 10th November, 2022 one of the principal suspects, Emeka Okeke (male) aged 28 years, alias Akpa was arrested at Mgbachu village Nkpor.
“Suspect confessed to the crime and his confession led to the arrest of one Nzube Ikezue (male) aged 31 years of Akuzor village, Nkpor who was arrested as one of the receivers of stolen vehicles,” he narrated.
The Police Commissioner of Police said the suspects would be arraigned in court soon.
EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU
