Imo: Police nab suspected killers of DPO, inspector

Imo: Police nab suspected killers of DPO, inspector

Imo State police in South-east Nigeria have detained suspects in the murders of a divisional police officer (DPO) and an inspector in Ahiara Junction, Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area.

Recall that on November 27, suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its militant arm, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), allegedly assassinated two operatives in Imo state.

The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Aboki Danjuma, at a press briefing at the State Police Headquarters in Owerri on Sunday, said the suspected killers of the operatives were among a total of 25 crime suspects arrested in the state, ThisDay reported.

Mr Danjuma said the suspects were arrested for various criminal cases ranging from IPOB activities, armed robbery, murder, stealing/receiving stolen properties, cultism, and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

The police commissioner said the suspects in the killing of the DPO and the inspector were also “evidently linked” to the recent killing of a traditional ruler in Ezinihitte Mbaise, and a Peoples Democratic Party ward chairperson.

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He added that the killings prompted him to convene a meeting with various security agencies to reel out collaborative security strategies to track down the attackers.

Confessions of a few suspects arrested at the scenes of the incidents assisted the police operatives in raiding some criminal hideouts, he said.

“Police operatives in synergy with the military, operatives of the anti-kidnapping unit subsequently stormed the camp of the (crime) suspects at Umuohie in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State, dislodged the terrorists, recovered two automatic pump action rifles and six rounds of live cartridges,” he said.

More raids, arrests

Mr Danjuma said, in continuation of the operation using a technical intelligence tracking device, the police operatives also raided another camp in Igbodo-Etche in Rivers State and arrested a native doctor, Everest Agbaragam, 62 who hails from the community in the South-southern state.

“A search of his shrine led to the recovery of one pump action gun loaded with 12 rounds of live cartridges, one big bag containing various denominations of Biafra currencies, one live crocodile and fetish items,” he said.

Imo: Police nab suspected killers of DPO, inspector