Police officers in Enugu State have detained four alleged high-profile criminals within a week, stepping up their efforts to apprehend those who incite criminality and violence.
During the specified time frame, the agents retrieved one AK-47 rifle along with 51 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, three replica Beretta pistols, one replica Pump Action pistol, the butt of a replica gun, 31 live cartridges, and other evidence.
In a statement released on Thursday in Enugu, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Daniel Ndukwe, claimed that between December 1 and 6, they had detained suspects who were thought to be among the culprits spreading dread among the locals.
According to Commissioner of Police Mr Ahmed Ammani, the present operational and crime-fighting methods have led to this success, as explained by Ndukwe.
He said the commissioner had ordered police officers to keep up the pace of clearing the state of hardened offenders and requested citizens to keep providing reliable tips.
According to the PPRO, on December 6 at around 9.30 a.m., members of the Anti-Cultism Squad detained Ifeanyi Ngene, 36, at Akwuke in the Awkunanaw axis of Enugu.
A police spokesman added that 51 7.62 calibre live rounds, two AK-47 magazines, and an AK-47 weapon were found in Ngene’s possession.
He also reported that two walkie-talkies, a cloth belonging to a senior police official, three black military belts, and the black berets of two forest guards had been retrieved from Ngene.
He said, “Also, Kenechi Ngwuenwo, 25, was arrested on December 6 at about 4.40 p.m. by operatives serving in Central Police Station while on stop-and-search duty on Enugu-Onitsha Road, by New Market Enugu.”
He was found to be in illegal possession of one gun that had been modified to fit his size and contained six fully loaded rounds.
Similarly, on December 1 at 11:25 a.m., members of Police Mobile Force-3, who were conducting a heightened patrol along Ozalla-4-Corners-Udi Road, apprehended and arrested Amaechi Precious, 25, who was driving a Toyota Sienna commercial vehicle and was en route from Abakaliki, Ebonyi to Awka, Anambra.
During the search, three locally made Beretta handguns, the butt of a locally made gun, and other evidence were found in his illegal possession.
Oforzoba Amandi, 26, was detained on December 2 by SWAT operatives from the Command in Anam, Anambra West Local Government Area (LGA), Anambra; he was later shown to be the recipient of the firearms and a part of the criminal ring.