The Enugu State Police Command has apprehended three young men for alleged involvement in armed robbery and cult-related activities during separate operations across the state. According to the command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, who disclosed this in a statement issued in Enugu on Friday, the operatives recovered three firearms, eight live cartridges, and other incriminating items from the suspects. He explained that this success aligns with the 2025 proactive, community-driven, and results-oriented policing strategy introduced by the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kanayo Uzuegbu.
In one operation, officers from the Oji-River Police Division detained two male suspects, identified as Okorie Israel Nweze (25) and Tobechukwu Emmanuel (20), on January 14 at Garriki, Ugwuoba, Oji-River. During their arrest, two pump-action guns and six live cartridges were seized. The suspects admitted to engaging in armed robbery, drug trafficking, and other criminal activities along Abakaliki Road in Awka.
In another operation on January 2, around 8 p.m., the Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad acted on credible intelligence to rescue and detain a suspect named John Effia, also known as “Fela,” at Ugbo-Paul, Abakpa-Nike, Enugu. Effia was caught by an angry mob before police intervention. A locally-made double-barrelled pistol loaded with two live cartridges was recovered from him. Ndukwe noted that Effia confessed to being a member of the Vikings confraternity and part of a gang responsible for multiple armed robberies and thefts in the Enugu metropolis.
All suspects will face prosecution once investigations are completed. The Commissioner of Police commended the efforts of the operatives and reaffirmed the command’s resolve to make Enugu State uninhabitable for criminal elements. Residents have been urged to remain law-abiding, vigilant, and supportive by providing actionable information to aid the police in combating crime in the state.
This remarkable feat underscores the police force’s dedication to ensuring peace and security in Enugu State.
AT REPORTERS
