Imo Police Nabs 12 Suspects, Rescues Three Kidnap Victims

The Imo state police command says its operatives have arrested 12 suspects for offences bordering on kidnapping, cultism, murder, and other violent crimes in separate operations across the state.

Henry Okoye, police spokesperson in Imo, in a statement on Wednesday said the operations also led to the recovery of firearms, vehicles, motorcycles and other items linked to criminal activities.

Okoye said the operation followed the abduction of five passengers from a commuter bus along Obokofia Road in Egbema and the kidnapping of a young man in New Owerri on June 27.

He said operatives, acting on intelligence, raided a suspected kidnappers’ hideout in Obokofia, Ohaji/Egbema LGA, on June 30.

Okoye said the operation led to the rescue of three victims unharmed and the arrest of seven suspected gang members.

“The suspects are Eric John, alias “Yahoo Welder,” (30), of Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, resident in Obokofia, Ohaji/Egbema LGA; Light Chukwuma (18); Obinna Osuamma (18); Sylvester Nnadike (60); Tochukwu Precious (22); Destiny Albert (22); and Caroline Oziomele (25), all of Obokofia, Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area,” the statement reads.

“Items recovered during the operation include one AK-47 rifle, two locally made double-barrel guns, two locally made pistols, one blue Toyota Highlander SUV without a registration number, one ash-coloured Mercedes-Benz GLK Jeep belonging to one of the rescued victims, three Q-Link motorcycles, one Sumec generator set, and eight branded cult caps.”

Okoye said one of the rescued victims identified Eric John, alias ‘Yahoo Welder’, as a member of the gang that abducted him.

He added that the gang had collected N5 million in ransom from the victim’s family before demanding an additional N50 million before the rescue operation.

The police spokesperson said operatives arrested five suspected members of the ‘Senior Vikings Confraternity’ (SVC) while they were carrying out cult-related activities at Okuku in Owerri west LGA on June 21.

He identified them as Iwuagwu Innocent Chigozie, 26; Okparaugo Kingsley, 32; Uchenna Daniel Akagha, 23; Nsubechi Ekezie, 25; and Nwaneri Chigemezue, 28.

According to him, the suspects confessed during interrogation to participating in a cult initiation ceremony held on May 24 at Umuome in Umuguma, Owerri west LGA, where an unidentified man was allegedly beaten to death.

“Acting on the information, operatives visited the scene and recovered the decomposed body,” he said.

“Follow-up operations at the suspects’ hideouts also led to the recovery of two locally made pistols and two live cartridges.

“Investigation is ongoing to establish the identity of the deceased and apprehend other fleeing members of the group.”