The Imo State Police Command has arrested at least 25 suspects for their alleged involvement in criminal activities ranging from murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and car snatching.
The suspects were paraded by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu, at the command headquarters in Owerri, the state’s capital in southeast Nigeria.
Mr Lakanu disclosed that one of the most shocking stories in the arrest of the suspected criminals was that of a dangerous four-man kidnapping gang responsible for the kidnap and murder of one Madam Ogo Omereji aged 63-years-old, who was kidnapped in her farm at Awara in Ohaji/Egbema late last year.
He said that during interrogation, the suspects confessed to have kidnapped, tortured to death and subsequently buried the victim’s corpse in a shallow grave in the forest, even after they had collected a ransom of 510,000 Naira from the victim’s family.
The Police Commissioner also revealed that over the last three months, a total number of 88 suspects have been arrested for kidnapping while 16 victims have been rescued with 41 other suspects arrested for armed robbery.
While warning criminals to stay away from Imo State in their own interest, especially kidnappers and armed robbers, Mr Lakanu said that the command has crime mapped and cobwebbed the entire state through overt and covert strategies that would enable them detect any crime in and around the state.
He also asked for the support and cooperation of the government and people of Imo State in their renewed determination to fight crime to a standstill in the state.
