Imo’s Criminal Web Busted! Police Launch Blitz, Haul In Thousands Of Suspects

The Imo State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in its war against crime, arresting a staggering 2,785 suspects involved in terrorism, armed robbery, kidnapping, child trafficking, cultism, and other serious offences.

This feat was confirmed in a statement released on Saturday in Owerri by the command’s spokesperson, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Henry Okoye, according to iReporter Online.

The clampdown, carried out over the past six months across various parts of the state, led to the rescue of 58 kidnapped victims and 42 stolen children, all of whom have now been safely reunited with their families. A considerable cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered from the suspects, according to iReporter Online.

DSP Okoye attributed the success of the operations to the tactical leadership and intensified crime-fighting strategies of the Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, across all 27 local government areas of Imo State. He revealed that operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, in collaboration with other tactical teams and formations, carried out coordinated raids that dismantled various criminal syndicates.

Among the weapons recovered were 2 General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), 14 AK-47 rifles, 20 pump-action guns, 4 fabricated rocket launchers, 7 gas-cylinder explosives, locally made hand grenades, and hundreds of rounds of live ammunition. Also seized were Biafran flags and criminal charms, linking some suspects to secessionist and terrorist operations.

According to iReporter Online, key arrests included notorious members of the proscribed IPOB/ESN such as Amechi Onyebuchi, Ozioma Ihedoro, Cyprian Ikpegbunam, and Uchenna Opara, who were linked to multiple attacks on security installations and public infrastructure in Njaba Local Government Area. They confessed during interrogation to the kidnapping and murder of one Emmanuel Oguzie, allegedly under orders from a wanted ESN commander known as Asari.

The police also apprehended Uche Nwachukwu and Chinonso Ozirim, who were involved in the abduction of Anayo Iwuoha at Akabo, collecting a ransom of ₦2.2 million before being caught in a joint raid with local vigilantes.

Another major suspect, Wisdom Chinazaekpere Ogbonna, a member of the Viking Confraternity from Orlu, was also captured. He had been on the run for two years after allegedly butchering a youth mistakenly identified as a rival cultist. He was arrested recently for burglary but later identified as one of the cultists involved in the brutal killing.

The police command acknowledged the vital role the public played by providing credible intelligence that facilitated the success of these operations. Citizens are encouraged to continue supporting security efforts by reporting suspicious activities to 0813 478 3532 or 0815 802 4755, as the Imo State Police Command remains committed to ensuring safety and peace across the state.

”IREPORTER REPORTS”