By Delight Chinedum
Operatives of the Imo State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit have dismantled a notorious kidnapping syndicate.
In a statement issued Sunday in Owerri by the Command’s Public Relations Officer DSP Henry Okafor, he said that the success came during an intelligence-led operation which took place on January 16, 2025, at a forest near Agwa, in Oguta Local Government Area,
According to him, the operation led to the arrest of one suspect Ozioma Dike, after an exchange of gunfire while other members of the syndicate fled into the bushes.
The PPRO disclosed that items recovered from the suspect were a pump-action rifle loaded with seven live rounds of ammunition and an iPhone belonging to a victim who had been kidnapped on January 8, 2025, in Ubomiri, Mbaitoli Local Government Area
He said that during interrogation, the suspect confessed to be part of a group responsible for several kidnappings in Ubomiri, Ogbaku, and Ohii communities within Mbaitoli LGA.
Okoye said efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing gang members while Dike remains in custody.
He hinted that the suspect is expected to be arraigned in court after the conclusion of the investigation
However, the police have assured the public of their commitment to eradicating kidnapping and other criminal activities in the state.
In a different development, the anti-kidnapping arrested a 40-year-old man, Uchenna Okpara, on January 16, 2025, for allegedly stabbing his in-law, Uchenna Unakalamba, to death.
The incident occurred in Ubomiri, Mbaitoli LGA, following a minor dispute involving their children as Okpara reportedly attacked Unakalamba with a broken bottle after the argument escalated.
Responding to a distress call, the PPRO said that police operatives had apprehended the suspect and recovered the weapon as the victim was confirmed dead at the hospital, while the suspect remains in custody pending the conclusion of investigations and subsequent prosecution.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police Imo State Police Command, CP Aboki Danjuma has continued to intensify efforts to combat violent crimes and maintain peace and security across the state