Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Delta State Police Command on Wednesday paraded a total of 182 suspects arrested for various crimes in the state in the past three months.
The suspects were arrested for offenses of cultism, armed robbery, kidnapping, child trafficking, burglary, arson, car snatching, ritual, drug peddling, gun running and unlawful possession of firearms.
Commissioned of Police in the state, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa who paraded the suspected in Asaba, also disclosed that the command has uncovered a training of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Ibusa, Oshimili North Local Government Area of the state.
Inuwa said operatives of the command, traced several rifles snatched from his men to the IPOB training camp where 13 AK47 rifles and one human skull were recovered.
He said following series of attacks on policemen at nipping points and snatching of police rifles by suspected members of the outlawed IPOB in Asaba, the command sustained efforts in the investigation of the attacks.
Inuwa added that the efforts “yielded results when some principal suspects with strong links to IPOB were arrested and made confessional statements.”
He listed those arrested to include Ejiofor Odili, Sunday Okah, Ashaka Sunday, Chukwudi Nwoba, Onyeka Ezinna, Chima Victor, Chukwudi Okpara, Maxwell Ishiguzo and Christian Ndiogulu.
According to him, operatives acted on the confession of the arrested key suspects, to recover ten AK47 rifles and ten magazines with 200 rounds of ammunition snatched from policemen at Ugwunwosu camp of the proscribed IPOB.
He said one of the suspects, Christian Ndiogulu led operatives to IPOB training camp at Ibusa, where one AK47 with its magazine and 26 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition snatched from safer highway patrol team along Ogwashi/Kwale road in January this year was recovered from where they were buried in the camp.
Inuwa said two other suspects also led operatives to Idumugo forest in Okpanam where two AK47 rifles, one smoke gun, one smoke canister, four AK47 magazines, 212 7.62mm AK47 ammunition, one MP3, a set of Allen keys and one hand bag were recovered.
Speaking further, he said the Dragon team 19 on lockdown enforcement/stop and search along Ughelli/Patani road, arrested one Believe Obasere ‘m’ 50 years in possession of two new single barrel guns wrapped and concealed in a bag on a red colour Daylong motorcycle with registration number Delta AGB 204 AV.
He said upon investigation, the suspect claimed that he bought the firearms from one Engr. Young of Enwhen town in Isoko North Local Government Area.
“Meanwhile, in the course of further investigation by SARS on the 27th of April, 2020 at about 0600hrs, SARS operatives arrested one Young Origbe ‘m’ aged 64 years of Enwhen community, and during immediate search conducted in his house and premises, one short single barrel gun and a cartridge, three vices for construction of guns, 54 springs, one hand drilling machine, four handsaws, one welding machine, nine gun muzzled, one generator, 21 hand files and some accessories were recovered,” he added.
Inuwa said two suspected child traffickers were also arrested, adding that a woman was lured to Onitsha where she delivered and the child stolen.
He said during investigation, the police later recovered the child and one other child from the suspects.
