By Sophia Afolabi
The Imo State Police Command has arrested seven suspected armed robbers and recovered firearms and ammunition in a series of intelligence-led operations targeting criminal activities in Ihiagwa, Owerri West Local Government Area.
The suspects were apprehended following a complaint lodged by a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, who alleged that he was robbed at gunpoint along the FUTO Road in Ihiagwa.
Police said operatives attached to the Nekede Police Station, acting on credible intelligence, arrested three of the suspects before transferring the case to the Command’s Anti-Robbery Unit, popularly known as Oscar Mine, for further investigation.
According to the police, the suspects allegedly confessed during interrogation to being members of the Vikings Confraternity. Their statements reportedly led investigators to four additional suspects arrested at different locations as part of efforts to dismantle the criminal network operating within the student community.
Items recovered during the operation include a cut-to-size English-made single-barrel gun, a locally made revolver pistol, a locally made single-barrel gun, and four rounds of live cartridges. Police said efforts are ongoing to track down other suspected members of the group who remain at large.
Commending the operatives for the successful operation, the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, CP Audu Garba Bosso, praised their professionalism and reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to tackling cultism, armed robbery, and other violent crimes across the state.
The Command also urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to aid ongoing efforts to rid the state of criminal elements.
