The Nigeria Police Force has said, within the past 2 months, its operatives have arrested 548 Armed Robbery suspects, 242 Kidnapping suspects, 365 Murder/Homicide suspects and about 237 suspects for Rape/Defilement. While about 113 victims of Kidnapping were successfully rescued within the period under review.
Additionally, in furtherance of efforts emplaced by the Force to mop up illegal weapons and curb the proliferation of illicit firearms in the country, about 306 Firearms, and 3,944 ammunition of different calibres were recovered across the country.
This was disclosed while parading 20 suspects arrested for various offences including Criminal Conspiracy, Attempted Murder, Murder, Kidnapping, Armed Robbery, and Possession of Illicit Drugs, alongside 44 firearms and 111 live ammunition recovered at various locations by police Operatives across the country.
CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY, ATTEMPTED MURDER, MURDER
SUSPECT:
1. YUSUF ISMAEL ISAH ‘m’ 32 from Okene, Kogi State, married with 2 kids, a plumber.
FACTS:
Following intensive investigation into the fatal attack on the convoy of Apostle Johnson Suleman, the Founder of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Auchi, on October 21, 2022, along Benin – Auchi road, wherein six (6) people, including 3 police personnel, were gruesomely murdered, Operatives of FIB-IRT on the trail of the assailants apprehended one Yusuf Ismael Isah ‘m’, a native of Okene, Kogi State and a plumber, at Agbaraoluwa Phase 2 Ijoka, Akure, Ondo State and recovered 5 Ak47 Rifles, 2 K2 Assault rifles, 180 live ammunition and 4 suspected IEDs found in his apartment.
Investigations revealed that the suspect was part of the 7-man gang responsible for the attack on the convoy of the Apostle and some of the rifles found in his possession were in fact rifles snatched from the 3 police officers slain during the October 21, 2022 attack. The suspect confessed he joined the vicious gang in 2021 after he was freed from Olokuta Correctional Center where he was on remand since 2019 for alleged involvement in Armed Robbery. The group specializes in Kidnaping for ransom and have carried out about 4 kidnapping operations between 2021 and 2023, including the attack on the convoy of the Apostle, before the gang was eventually busted by the Police. 2 members of the 7-man gang were gunned-down in separate encounters with the Police.
The suspect confessed that the gang was responsible for the kidnap of a popular oil dealer at Jetu, Auchi in 2022, where they obtained a ransom of about 70 million naira before his release. The gang equally carried out the kidnap of a business man along Benin - Agbor express road in 2022 and collected 20 million naira as ransom from the victim’s family. Their last attempt at kidnapping after the failed attack on the Apostle was along Owo – Ikare road where they were heavily engaged and repelled by the police escort accompanying their target.
The suspect further confessed the plan of the gang on October 21, 2022, was to forcefully kidnap the Apostle and collect a huge ransom. They had trailed him for days and planted an informant on the Auchi expressd to feed them updates his itinerary on the day of the attack. The gang opened fire on the convoy upon its approach but their key target managed to escape the attack. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend other suspects who are still at large.
EXHIBITS:
5 AK47 Rifles
2 K2 Assault Rifles
180 Rounds of Live Ammunition
4 suspected locally made IEDs
1 pistol
4 rounds of 9mm ammunition
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CONSPIRACY / KIDNAPPING AND ARMED ROBBERY
SUSPECTS:
1. Emu Larry Chidiebere ‘m’ 34 from Agbor, Delta State, married with kids, an agent in gold business.
2. Samuel Balogun ‘m’ 22, Kabba, Kogi State, Forex trader / Fashion designer.
3. Willams Banjo ‘m’ 28, Epe, Lagos State, Beautician.
4. Babatunde Femi ‘m’ 30, Oke-Ogun, Ogun State, a hairstylist married with 1 child.
5. Nneka Opara ‘f’ 32, from Imo.
FACTS:
The principal suspect Emu Larry lured a Swiss national to Nigeria posing as an agent who facilitates Gold transactions in Nigeria. Upon the arrival of the victim on May 30, 2023, the prime suspect alongside Nneka Opara and Samuel Balogun received him at the airport and conveyed him to a serviced apartment where they lodged him.
Subsequently, Emu procured Babatunde Femi and Williams Banjo who tied down the victim and seized his iPhone while compelling him to contact his relatives in Zurich to send them the sum of 2000 dollars and threatening to harvest his kidney and sell if their demands are no met. The suspects held the victim hostage in the apartment from May 30, 2023 to June 2, 2023.
The suspects took pictures of the victim and forwarded the pictures and threat messages to the girlfriend of the victim in Zurich, who eventually sent them the sum of 2000 dollars via Western Union on June 1, 2023. Upon receipt of the report, operatives of FIB-IRT were deployed on the case and successfully apprehended the suspects.
EXHIBITS:
• 1 locally made single barrel gun
• 1 iPhone 13 Promax with air pods
• 5 different types of company stamp
• 1 stamp seal
• Envelope containing documents
• 5 bricks of fake Gold
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CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY/ POSSESSION OF ILLICIT DRUGS
The operatives of the FIB-IRT at about 1000hrs on 24th April 2023, based on credible information intercepted and arrested 2 suspects at Karu opposite customs office FCT Abuja for Criminal Conspiracy and being in Possession of Illicit Drugs. The suspects are Ifeanyi Udoye ‘m’ of Kurudu AMAC and Chidebere Iyke ‘m’ of 3rd avenue no 53 House 26. After being interrogated thoroughly suspects confessed to have been indulging in these crimes, of which they confessed to have always been buying it from one Mr Mohammed ‘m’ of Apapa Lagos State who always supplies them the illicit drugs in large quantity. They also confessed to have bought these illicit drugs for the sum of 2.5 million naira and have sold over 1.5-million-naira worth illicit drugs to the public.
EXHIBITS RECOVERED
1. 20 packs of Tramadol
2. Lexus saloon car ES350
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ARREST OF NON STATE ACTORS ENFORCING SIT AT HOME IN ENUGU, EBONYI AND IMO.
a. Following incidences, reported widely in the news during the past week, of non-state actor unleashing a reign of terror on the civil populace in some parts of the South-East region under the guise of enforcing an illegal and evil sit-at-home order, Police Operatives in Enugu State Command intercepted and dislodged a group of armed subversive criminal elements, as they were snatching an ENTRACO branded Sharon minivan from its driver at gunpoint along One Day Junction, Agbani Road, Enugu, in the early hours of Friday 7th July, 2023.
The hoodlums abandoned the vehicle and narrowly escaped the scene with varying degrees of gunshot wounds. Following a search on the vehicle one (1) AK- 47 Rifle with a magazine loaded with nineteen (19) live ammunition of 7.62 calibres was recovered from the scene, alongside two (2) bottles of petrol bomb and other incriminating exhibits.
The command launched a manhunt for the fleeing assailants and subsequently discovered and recovered the lifeless bodies of four (4) of the male hoodlums, in a forest behind G. Ede Filling Station/7-Up, at Awkunanaw, Enugu, where they escaped into.
b. Additionally, Police operatives from the Ebonyi State Police Command acting on intelligence stormed the shrine/ hideout of non-state actors, suspected to be responsible for the attack on Policemen and burning of a police patrol van on the 2nd July 2023 at Ohaukwu and the shooting incident at Isheke market on the 4th of July 2023, located at Ndiagu Iyiogbe in Ukwagba community in Ohaukwu LGA. A total of 15 suspects were arrested on 5th July 2023 at about 1230hrs.
c. Again, on 6th July, 2023, following a tip off, a core member of the outlawed IPOB/ESN in Ezzamgbo, Ohaukwu LGA, Ebonyi State, one Nwadike surname unknown was arrested at about 1350hrs.
The following exhibits were recovered from suspects:
1 locally made revolver
2 Vehicle number plate.
3 live ammunition.
d. Furthermore, on 9/7/2023 at about 1900hrs following receipt of distress calls about sporadic shootings within Irete in Owerri West LGA Imo State, Police operatives swiftly responded and navigated to Nirvana Place, a Hotel at Catering Bus-stop Irete Free Zone where operatives of 18 PMF Owerri were engaging a gang of suspected IPOB/ESN terrorists in a fierce gun battle. With the joint effort of the operatives, the terrorists were overpowered and they fled with gunshot injuries into adjoining bushes. The hotel premise and the adjacent bushes were subsequently combed by police operatives. The corpse of a young man murdered by the hoodlums was evacuated and deposited at Federal Medical Center Owerri morgue for preservation and autopsy. Meanwhile 26 suspects were arrested by the Police in connection with the incident and efforts are in place to track down the fleeing suspects. The following exhibits were recovered from the scene;
1 AK47 Rifle,
48 rounds of live ammunition,
4 Pump action guns,
18 rounds of live cartridges,
2 AK47 Rifle magazines,
2 laptop computers,
1 POS machine,
39 handsets of different makes,
6 ATM cards of different banks,
1 power bank,
1 MP player,
1 face mask,
Indian hemp grinding machine,
Instruments used in smoking hard drugs,
3 motorcycles,
1 mini bus and
1 Toyota Corolla
e. Similarly, on October 10, 2023 at about 1350hrs some armed men suspected to be IPOB/ESN members arrived at Okposi in Ohaozara LGA, Ebonyi State shooting sporadically into air. Police tactical teams promptly mobilized to the scene, intercepted the hoodlums and a gun duel ensued. One of the hoodlums was neutralised in the encounter, while others narrowly escaped. The Ebonyi State Police Command has intensified surveillance in the area with a vie2iaz1w to apprehend the fleeing suspects. Exhibits recovered include;
1 Highlander jeep (blue)
2 Motorcycles
1 Pump action gun
5 live cartridges x
Assorted provisions robbed from shops owners
4 mobile phones
1 SUMEC fireman generator
10 expended pump action gun cartridges
9 expended shells of AK47 rifle ammunition
All the suspects will be arraigned upon completion of investigations.
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