From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The Imo State police command, yesterday, paraded a suspect, Chimobi Anosike, 38, from Umuedo, Obioha, in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area, for alleged involvement in the killing of former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, on May 30, 2021, while returning to Abuja, along Ngor Okpala – Airport Road, in Imo state.
Briefing newsmen, the State police spokesperson, Michael Abattam, noted that Anosike, led by their gang member, one Ebube, popularly known as “Virus”, presently at large, had been terrorising the State, even after killing Gulak.
Abattam said the gang was also responsible for the razing of some police divisions in the State, including the Aboh, Ahiazu Mbaise and Ezinihitte police stations.
The suspect, Abattam said, who is a member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), confessed also to the be among the gang that attacked a truck loaded with onions same day at Enyiogugu Junction, Aboh Mbaise, and as well involved in the killing of some police officers in the State.
But, the suspect was able to be arrested by the anti-kidnapping unit of the command, following an intelligent report. “The slogan of the CP ‘hear something, say something’ Abattam added, helped in the investigation.
However, the suspect, while confessing during interrogation by newsmen, said he was misled and threatened not to pull out by the gang commander, “Virus”.
“I was a commercial bus driver. When our commander saw me, he asked me to drive them to an errand that day. I never knew where we were going and I didn’t want to say no because he said he was going to kill me.
“So, that fateful day, he called me to follow them, that we were going somewhere. When we got to that airport road, he asked me to block the vehicle in front and I did, and one of them shot him, he did not die; so Johnny came and removed something from his body and shot him before he died. I didn’t know he was the one,” the suspect narrated.
Similarly, the police paraded three suspects, Ifeanyi Nwaenyi, 28, from Umuokwe Awo-Omamma in Orlu East council area of the State; Ahanotu Chimezie, 24, from same area, and Achazie Chukwudi, 24, from Obowo in Orlu council area, for alleged bombing of the country home of the President General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Professor George Obiozor, on March 19, 2022.
Also paraded was a kidnap suspect who colluded with two of his friends to arrange the kidnap of himself.
The suspect, Bruno Obioha,19, who said he planned the kidnap with his friends, Njoku Kelechi, 22; Opara Godwin,17, and Abasirim Onyedikachi, 21, only to raise money from his sister to wax his musical album.
The command also had in their net Uche Ibekwe, 28, alleged to be a serial child trafficking syndicate who deceived a young girl, known as Chinenye, a single mother, by pretending to assist her to look for a job.
But, after collecting a payment of N400,000 from his clients, he reneged on his agreement with the mother and, instead, crushed her to death with his vehicle.
“He deceived the girl to come down and check something under the vehicle; the girl, not sensing any danger, obeyed but before she could get up from under the vehicle, he used the reverse gear and crushed her to death,” Abattam said.
Items recovered from the IPOB suspects include live python, live tortoises, a gun belonging to a killed Inspector after they razed Obiozor’s house and others.