Enugu State Police Command has paraded 77 suspected criminals that committed various offences within the state in the last four months.
Parading the suspects in Enugu on Tuesday, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmad Abdurrahman, said that 16 assorted arms were recovered in the period under review by the command.
Abdurrahman noted that the command also recovered 122 ammunitions of various caliber and 30 live cartridges within the same period.
“Other items recovered between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31 included: six vehicles (cars); six tricycles; two motorcycles; five handsets, five wraps of cocaine, one small axe and one toy gun,’’ he said.
The commissioner said that the command achieved the feat through the ongoing Operation Puff Adder and the commitment of officers and men of the command.
He also thanked Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his support in terms of logistics, adding that the 65 vehicles donated by the governor to the command had greatly assisted in crime fighting and security surveillance.
Abdurrahman noted that on Dec. 23, operatives of Special Armed Robbery Suspect (SARS) arrested Mr Ogbonna Nwasibe, 19, for unlawful possession of firearm while conducting a stop-and-search.
He said that one locally-made double barrel gun was recovered from Nwasibe.
The commissioner said that SARS also arrested one Ugwu Chinaza, 20, who reside at Ibeagwu Nike in Enugu East council area, for conspiracy and armed robbery.
“The SARS operatives recovered one tricycle, which has been released to the owner on bond,’’ he said.
He noted that SARS operatives arrested one Sylvester Adebayo, 31, a native of Esuakoko in Ondo state but resides at Ozzara in Kogi State, for alleged conspiracy and kidnapping.
“The suspect was arrested on Dec. 19 at about 8;13 a.m. following intelligence information that money paid as ransom in a case of kidnapping was lodged into his bank account,’’ he said.
The commissioner said that the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) arrested one Christopher Ede in Enugu for unlawful possession of 72 rounds of 9mm ammunitions and he was suspected to be a member of Ayes Confraternity during interrogation.
“We have made many arrests; while investigation are currently ongoing on the level of involvement of the suspects been paraded as well as how to track down their cohorts that are presently at large.
“We will sure get at them as we will meticulously do our job; and with the help of information and feedback from the members of the public especially journalists we will be on top of our game,’’ he said.
The police boss thanked residents of the state for assisting the police in 2019; adding that the state had returned to its previous nature of “being the most peace, secured and calm in the country even in this Yuletide’’.
