Okey Sampson, Umuahia

Abia Police Command, yesterday, paraded five members of an armed robbery gang that killed a couple in their home in Umuahia at the weekend in the presence of their children after robbing them of cash and other valuables.

Those paraded were Precious Chukwuebuka Okoro, Ogbonna Ifeanyichukwu Justice, Enyinna Asiegbu (released from Okigwe Correctional facility last month),  Emezuo Kinsley a.k.a Pakins and Promise Sunday Obialor a.k.a Esere, who is believed to be the second in command to a notorious armed robbery kingpin, Grave who was killed by police recently.

The police also paraded  15 other suspects (including two young ladies) alleged to be involved in armed robbery and kidnapping in the state. Three of the suspects were accused of being involved in the abduction of a legal practitioner in Aba.

Abia Commissioner of Police, Ene Okon, while parading the suspects in Umuahia, explained to journalists how the five-member robbery gang killed the couple in their home.

Okon said on January 25 at about 9pm, the gang operating with tricycle, snatched a Toyota Sienna Support Utility Vehicle (SUV) with registration number Abuja:RBC 477 RL with which they went to the house of Mr.  & Mrs. Darlington Chinyere Uzoma to rob them.

Okon said after robbing the couple, they shot and killed the husband and wife before the children despite repeated appeals made by the kids to spare the lives of their parents.

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Okon said after killing the couple, the bandits went for another operation along Bende road where they waylaid people, including policemen returning from Arochukwu after supervising the rerun election in the area.

Okon said during the operation, the hoodlums dispossessed their victims of their valuables and made away with the uniform of one of the police officers after injuring him.

He said the armed robbers ran out of luck as two of them were apprehended inside a tricycle by a police patrol team and they led the police to a brothel where their leader, Esere, and other members of the gang were arrested.

Okon said on the same January 25 at about 2.10am, based on distress call, his men rounded up five armed robbers Michael Ukanwa, Henry John, Charles Onwubiko, Goodness Okoronkwo and Sonia John.

The Abia CP said in the early hours of yesterday, SARS operatives acting on intelligence arrested David Nwokeoma John a.k.a J.J and Chikodi Alo both of Umuobo and Umuobiloha in Asokwa community, Osisioma Ngwa Local Government for the kidnap of a legal practitioner in Aba, Kenneth Nwuke.

Okon assured that all the suspects would be arraigned in court immediately investigations were concluded.

When residents of Umuahia got wind of the parade of the suspects, they thronged the police headquarters to catch a glimpse of the criminals.