By Kelechi Ugo
The usual saying that ‘Everyday is for the thief but one day is for the owner of the house’ has played itself as Imo State police command following its determination to weed off every form of criminal activities in the state has arrested 25 suspected cultists and 10 armed robbers.
Parading the culprits yesterday, the State Command Commissioner of Police ably represented by the Command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Andrew Enwerem told newsmen that the operatives of the command through a tip-off arrested 25 Black Axe cult members at about 1:00am yesterday from in and outside the state who converged on a bush around the Federal University of Technology, Owerri for their national conference/initiation.
DSP Enwerem expressed the command’s commitment to ensure that everybody in the state sleeps with two eyes closed.
“When a bird learns to fly without perching on the tree, the hunter will also learn to shoot without aiming. So, Imo police command will continue to adopt proactive measures that would shun all forms of criminal activities in the state.” The PPRO assured.
The suspected cultists are: Emeka Chukwu (M) aged 29 years, a native of Ohafia, Abia State; Alia Henry (M) aged 22 years from Obowo LGA of Imo State (not in school); Kingsley Chijioke (M) aged 25 from Oru East LGA, Imo State; Isdor Chidera (M) aged 25 years from Orlu LGA, Imo State; Ikechukwu Innocent (M) aged 20 from Oru East; Amaobi Innocent (M) aged 21 from Delta State; Godson Okafor (M) aged 26 years from Nkanu, Enugu State; Ezinwa Chigozie (M) aged 25 from Anambra State; Onyewuchi Awujor (M) aged 20 from Mbieri, Mbaitoli in Imo State; Francis Ibeawuchi (M) aged 20 years from Amaigbo, Imo State; Elvis Ugwumba (M) aged 20 from Mbaise, Imo State; Nwaru Vincent (M) aged 20 from Delta State; Paul Chinedu (M) aged 22 years of Eziobodo, Ideato North, Imo State; Adiele Silas Hillary (M) aged 26 from Abia State; Uchenna Innocent (M) aged 29 from Orlu, Imo State and Innocent Peter (M) aged 30 from Oru East, Imo State.
Others are: Ebuka Patrick (M) of No 103 Ogugba Street, Owerri, Imo State; Ikechukwu Oscar (M) aged 22 from Obinta, Okigwe, Imo State; Godwin Jones (M) aged 25 from Auchi in Edo State; Iwuegbulam Elvis (M) 23, from Ikeduru, Imo State; Ndubuisi Christian (M) 22, from Olokoro, Umuahia, Abia State; Nwata Uche (M), 21, from Aboh Mbaise, Imo State; Lloyd Boyd (M) 23, from Naze, Imo State; Onyiuke Izuchukwu (M) 22, from Nimo, Anambra State and Njoku Samuel (M) 21, from Aboh Mbaise in Imo State.
Exhibits recovered from them include: one locally made cut-to-size gun, one live cartridge and expanded cartridges.
Similarly, the Imo State police command on 12th and 13th June, through a tipoff nabbed a group of armed robbers believed to responsible for series of armed robbery operations within Orlu and its environs. According to the police command, the syndicate operated at No 125/126 Orlu International Market where they robbed one Igbozurike Investment and carted away the sum of eight hundred and forty-one thousand naira and also struck at No 26 Old Owerri road, Orlu and robbed a phone dealer, taking away with them the sum of eighty thousand naira and other valuable items on April 24th.
In another incident, the syndicate also broke into a phone shop where they made away with fifty-five exotic cell phones valued at over three million naira which they later sold at give away prices to one Amaechi Okonkwo, a phone dealer at the International Market, Orlu. In the same vein, the syndicate also robbed a card (airtime) dealer and tile dealer both of Umuna, Orlu LGA of Imo State and made away with the sum of nine hundred thousand naira and recharge cards worth over three hundred thousand naira.
The suspected armed robbers are Ikechukwu Nlebe (M) aged 18, from Ihitte-Owerri, Orlu LGA, Imo State, Chinemere Onwuachumba (M) aged 18 years of Abara Okporo, Orlu LGA, Imo State; Chibuike Ekezie (M) aged 18, of Okwudor, Njaba LGA, Imo State; Arinze Igwe (M), 19 from Umuebe, Okporo, Orlu LGA of Imo State; Chinoso Nwadinigwe (M) 23, from Abara Okporo, Orlu LGA, Imo State; Ogochukwu Samuel (M) 18 of Uburu, Ebonyi State but residing at Orlu; Ebuka Obi (M) aged 17, of Umuokwu, Owerri Ebeiri, Orlu LGA; Chimaobi Uzoahia (M) 33, of Umuna, Orlu LGA; Chidiebere Okamba (M) aged 18, from Amaifeke, Orlu LGA and Okonkwo Amaechi (M) aged 30 years, from Okporo, Orlu LGA of Imo State.
Exhibit recovered from them include: one locally made short gun, expanded cartridges, two single barrel guns and three motorcycles.
Confessing to the sin, Ugochukwu Nlebe told newsmen that he got his own share of the fifty-two thousand naira after their operation at Orlu International Market, noting that he cannot quantify the amount of money they made away with after the operation as he was operating outside while others entered inside.
