Harvest of arrests in Anambra: 75 cult suspects, robbers, others in police net

BY: Ikenna Oluka

The Anambra Police Command has recorded a harvest of arrest of suspected criminals.

The Command’s Operation Puff Adder on Friday nabbed suspected armed robbers and phone snatching syndicate at Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

It was gathered that the suspects lured the victim, One Chimieze Abordike, aged 28 years of Ogbuinike in Oyi LGA through Facebook and robbed him at gun point of his money cash sum of N5,000, phone and ATM card where another sum of N51,000 was withdrawn from his account while in captivity.

A statement by the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Haruna Mohammed said the case is under investigation and effort is ongoing to apprehend other fleeing accomplices in order to bring them to Justice.

Recall that similar incident took place on the May 3rd, 2019 where one Emerole Ikechukwu of Irete village, Owerri was equally lured by a female Facebook friend at the same town and was robbed of his money and other valuables at gunpoint using similar modus.

The statement reads in part, Anambra Police Command on the 17/5/2019 at about 6:30pm received a distress call at Ogidi Police Station that a man was abducted and taken to the bush at Ilongwodo Ogidi in Idemili North LGA of Anambra State.

“Following the report, police operatives attached to Ogidi Division and Operation Puff Adder responded swiftly and rushed to the bush.

“On sighting the police the hoodlums opened fire and the Teams responded thereby forcing the miscreants to jettison their mission and scampered for safety leaving behind the victim.”

Mohammed said that one Arinze Okorie aged 28 years old of Inyienu Ogidi was arrested and two machetes recovered from him.

Meanwhile, the police officers on routine stop and search operations along Abatete road at Ogidi attached to Ogidi intercepted and arrested  one Uche Ogbu and Chincherem Nweke, both 19 years old respectively.

The duo are said to specialise in snatching of handbags, handsets from their victims using a motorcycle.

Exhibits recovered from the suspects include a handset they just robbed from One Nwokolo Mmesoma, a student of Notre-Dame high School Abatete.

Mohammed said case is under investigation after which suspects would be charged to Court for prosecution.

The Command enjoined the public to be weary of strangers and dubious Facebook friends in order not to fall victims of similar ugly incidents.