The Enugu State Police Command says it has arrested eight suspected robbers and recovered eight stolen or snatched vehicles in a series of coordinated operations across the state.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, noting that the operations were part of the Command’s intensified fight against criminal gangs terrorising residents of Enugu and its environs.
“Operatives of the Command, through sustained intelligence-led operations, arrested eight suspects and recovered eight stolen vehicles and other incriminating exhibits. This breakthrough demonstrates our resolve to rid the state of criminal elements,” Ndukwe said.
According to the statement, operatives of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team on August 21 arrested three suspects — Eze Obinna (44), Jideofor Igwumba (35), and Martina Okwor Ada (49) — and recovered a Toyota Kluger (Highlander SUV) reported stolen at Trans-Ekulu on July 21. Police said the vehicle had already been refurbished and was being prepared for sale in Awka, Anambra State, before it was intercepted.
Similarly, on August 19, operatives attached to Ozalla Division intercepted a gang along the Udi/Ozalla Road and arrested Somadina Udeh (26), while others fled. Their operational vehicle, a Toyota Hiace bus with Delta registration number ASB 108 YF, was recovered, alongside another Toyota Hiace bus with Ebonyi registration number AKL 163 YU, which the gang allegedly stole in Udi.
“During interrogation, the suspect confessed that he and his accomplices infiltrated Enugu from Anambra State to steal goods from shops, which they later sold in Anambra,” the statement said.
In another operation, on August 12, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad arrested Chigozie Ebisike (42) and recovered a blue Toyota Corolla. Police said the arrest followed intelligence received from the Command-and-Control Centre, which tracked the vehicle linked to the snatching of a Toyota Camry on August 3 along Rangers Avenue, Independence Layout. The suspect’s confession led to the recovery of two more vehicles — a gold Toyota Sienna and a black Lexus 350 — along with several fake registration particulars, keys, and number plates.
Earlier, on August 8, the Crack Tactical Squad arrested three robbery suspects — Nwafor Chinenye (35), Chidera Ezeoha (32), and Ekete Joseph (41) — who allegedly robbed victims of a Carter Tec Super motorcycle and a Samsung Galaxy S8 phone at Amokpu-Nike. Police said the suspects were caught displaying the stolen motorcycles for sale at Ogbeke-Nike. They have since been arraigned and remanded in a correctional facility.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, praised the operatives for their “gallant efforts” and assured residents that the command would not relent in its crime-fighting drive.
“We will sustain the tempo until Enugu is completely free from the activities of these criminal gangs,” Giwa vowed.
The command urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements or criminal activities to security agencies for prompt action.
