The Police Command in Enugu State has arrested 17 criminal suspects for offences ranging from conspiracy, murder, armed robbery, truck snatching, and abduction to unlawful possession of a firearm.
The Command’s spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said in a statement on Tuesday in Enugu that the arrests and subsequent recovery of items were done within a month from Nov. 1 to 27.
Ndukwe said that the command recovered 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 noted that the high point of the arrests included a native doctor that allegedly shot and murdered his client while testing the gunshot protection charm he prepared for him.
According to him, on Nov. 16 at about 11:00 p.m. police operatives serving in Isi-Uzo Police Division arrested Emmanuel Odoh (male and a native doctor) aged 23, of Umuaram Village in the Ikem community of Isi-Uzo Local Government Area.
“Odoh was arrested 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 victim in his shrine at the 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,” he said.
The police spokesman said that acting on credible information, police operatives serving in the 9th Mile Police Division on Nov. 24 at about 3.20 p.m., arrested six male suspects in a building along Nsukka/Makurdi Highway, 9th Mile in Udi council area.
“Ongoing investigation into the case at the Anti-Robbery Section of the State CID has revealed that the criminal gang that is linked to a similar case earlier reported, were perfecting plans to commit felonious crimes before they were apprehended,” he said.
Ndukwe said that the arraignment of all the suspects yet to be arraigned shall be done once investigations are concluded.
The police spokesman said that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Ahmed Ammani, urged the personnel to remain focused on the fight to flush unrepentant criminal elements out of the state.
“The command is soliciting the continued support and cooperation of citizens of the state to flush out all unrepentant criminal elements,” he added.
