From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Police in Enugu State have arrested 17 crime suspects including a native doctor who shot and killed his client while testing a gunshot amulet.
Other suspects were arrested for conspiracy, murder, armed robbery, truck snatching, abduction and unlawful possession of firearm.
In a statement yesterday, Spokesman of the state Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe revealed that the arrests led to the recovery of two firearms, one live cartridge, three mock guns, a Sino Truck loaded with 789 bags of cement, mobile phones, ATM Cards, pieces of wrappers, clothes and other incriminating exhibits.
He said that, “On 16/11/2022 at about 11.pm, Police Operatives serving in Isi-Uzo Police Division of the Command, arrested Odoh Emmanuel (male and a native doctor) aged 23, of Umuaram Village in Ikem community of Isi-Uzo LGA, for shooting and murdering his adult male client, one Onunze Benedict, of Eha-Amufu community in the same LGA.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the suspect confessed to having used a locally-fabricated single-barreled gun to shoot and murder the said victim in his shrine at the mentioned location, while testing the gunshot protection charm he had prepared for him. The gun has been recovered, while further investigation is ongoing at the Homicide Section of the State CID Enugu.
Ndukwe said that, “In another development, Everest Ayokalam aged 48, Anayo Akakem aged 33, Iwuanyanwu Kelechi aged 32, Uchenna Iwuoha (a.k.a “Uchewinde”) aged 47 and Gospel Chimankpa Nnorom aged 32, all of Imo State, involved in the case of conspiracy, armed robbery, abduction and attempted murder, have been arraigned in court and remanded accordingly.
“They were arrested at Ikeduru in Imo State on 12/11/2022, through the concerted efforts of Police Operatives serving in Isi-Uzo Police Division of the Command and their counterpart in Imo State Command, after acting on credible information/intelligence.
“The suspects and others at large, armed with machetes and other weapons, had on 09/11/2022 at about 3.am, abducted at Umuhu in Isi-Uzo LGA (a border community between Enugu and Ebonyi States), the driver and conductor of a Sino Truck, said to be loaded with 900 bags of cement and en-route Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
“They took them to the forest, beat up and tied them to a tree, and thereafter made away with the truck and bags of cement therein. The suspects confessed to the crime, while the truck was recovered alongside 789 bags of the cement from the warehouse of Everest Ayokalam (the receiver of the robbed exhibits).
“Also, on 05/11/2022 at about 4.am, a combined team of Police Operatives drawn from Awkunanaw Police Division, Operation Restore Peace and Safer Highway Patrol, with assistance from Neighbourhood Watch Group, arrested one Kasie Ani (male) aged 25, Tochukwu Igwe (male) aged 25, Felix Maduakonam (male) aged 24, Chidera Okoye (male) aged 21 and Jennifer Nwafor (female) aged 17.
“Their arrest is sequel to the Team’s swift response to a distress call alleging that the suspects blocked the road at the Garriki axis of Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway and were robbing travelers. The four (4) male suspects were consequently arrested and the victims rescued, while the female suspect was arrested thereafter, for harbouring one of the male suspects.”
