Juliana Francis
The Enugu State Police Command said it has arrested five men for kidnapping, armed robbery and attempted murder.
Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Daniel Ndukwe, identified the suspects as Everest Ayokalam, 48, Anayo Akakem, 33, Iwuanyanwu Kelechi, 32, Uchenna Iwuoha, 47 and Gospel Chimankpa Nnorom, 32, all of Imo State.
According to Ndukwe, the suspects, who had been arraigned and remanded, were charged with conspiracy, armed robbery, abduction and attempted murder.
Ndukwe said: “They were arrested at Ikeduru in Imo State on the 12th of November, 2022, through the concerted efforts of Police Operatives serving in Isi-Uzo Police Division of the Command and their counterpart in Imo State Command, after acting on credible information and intel. The suspects and others at large, armed with machetes and other weapons, had on the 9th of November, at about 3. am, abducted at Umuhu in Isi-Uzo LGA-a border community between Enugu and Ebonyi States-, the driver and conductor of a Sino Truck, said to be loaded with 900 bags of cement and en-route Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.”
The image maker continued: “They took them to the forest, beat them up and tied them to a tree, and thereafter made away with the truck and bags of cement therein. The suspects confessed to the crime, while the truck was recovered alongside 789 bags of cement from the warehouse of Everest Ayokalam, the receiver of the robbed exhibits.”
Similarly, on the 5th of November, at about 4:am, a combined team of Police Operatives drawn from Awkunanaw Police Division, Operation Restore Peace and Safer Highway Patrol, with assistance from Neighbourhood Watch Group, arrested Mr Kasie Ani, 25, Tochukwu Igwe, 25, Felix Maduakonam, 24, Chidera Okoye, 21 and Jennifer Nwafor,17.
Ndukwe stated: “Their arrest is a sequel to the team’s swift response to a distress call alleging that the suspects blocked the road at the Garriki axis of Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway and were robbing travellers. The four male suspects were consequently arrested and the victims were rescued, while the female suspect was arrested after that, for harbouring one of the male suspects. Exhibits recovered from the suspects include three mock guns that they used in the criminal operation, 21 pieces of wrappers, clothes, phones, ATM cards and other valuables belonging to their victims.”
