Operatives attached to the Nekede Division of the Imo State Police Command, through intelligence-led operations on Thursday, apprehended three notorious criminals for unlawful possession of firearms, armed robbery, cultism, and motorcycle snatching, respectively.
According to the statement signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Henry Okoye, one of the suspects, John Chukwudi, 27, a native of Ntu in Ngor Okpala LGA of Imo State, was arrested on Wednesday while on intelligence-led patrol with the local vigilantes, along Human Race Hospital Road, Nekede.
Recovered from him included, one locally-made pistol and five rounds of live cartridges.
The statement said, “On interrogation, he confessed to being a member of the black axe confraternity cult group and stated that the gun was given to him by a member of his syndicate, Ugochukwu Ndubuisi, aka Dimzi Gate, who is at large.
“In a different development, Elijah Chigemezu, 23, of Ezzamgbo in Ebonyi State, was apprehended on Sunday along Cluster Road, Naze, in the act of dispossessing a young man of his phone and personal belongings at gunpoint.
“His arrest was following a swift response to a distress call by police operatives in synergy with the military. One locally-made shotgun was recovered from the suspect. On interrogation, he confessed to the crime.”
The statement said that Chibieze Tasie, 32, was apprehended at No 1 Naze, following a thorough investigation into a reported case of motorcycle snatching in Nekede.
He added, “On interrogation, the suspect confessed to having conspired with one Ndubisi, at large, to snatch motorcycles from unsuspecting motorcyclists in Nekede.
“Revealing that he stopped a motorcycle rider, lured him to a lonely location where his syndicate would dispossess the rider of his motorcycle. N170,000 was recovered from the suspect as part of the proceeds of his alleged criminal business.”
According to the spokesperson, the suspects have all been transferred to the State Criminals Investigation Department, Owerri, to consolidate the ongoing investigation.