The Enugu State Police Command has arrested three male suspects over alleged armed robbery and cult-related activities, recovering firearms, ammunition, ATM cards and other exhibits.
The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Enugu.
He said operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit arrested Goodluck Hyacinth, 30, during a stop-and-search operation at First Bus Stop, Abakpa, on Aug. 23. Seven rounds of 9mm live ammunition were recovered from him.
Ndukwe said operatives also raided a suspected criminal hideout at Akpaoga-Nike, Enugu East Local Government Area, in the early hours of Aug. 24.
He said the suspects fled on sighting the police, abandoning an imitation firearm and multiple ATM cards, adding that a manhunt was ongoing.
He said two other suspects, Okeke Stephen Chidera, 24, and Ofefe Mathew Chukwuemeka, 22, were arrested on Aug. 17 during a stop-and-search operation along Lagos Street, by Winners Junction, Ogui, Enugu.
According to him, the suspects were passengers in a commercial tricycle, while two others escaped. A cut-to-size firearm and eight live cartridges were recovered from the suspects, who allegedly confessed to belonging to the Neo Black Movement of Africa (NBM) cult group.
The police spokesperson said investigations were ongoing and that the arrested suspects would be arraigned after their conclusion, while efforts to apprehend those who escaped continued.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police Mamman Giwa has commended the operatives for their vigilance and proactive interventions.
He reaffirmed the Command’s determination to deny criminals space to operate in the state and urged residents to remain vigilant and provide timely, credible information on suspicious persons and criminal activities.
