3 policemen, others in police net over armed robbery, kidnapping

——-By Spence Okwagbaye, Asaba———–

 

A deadly armed robbery gang comprising of a dismissed police officer and three serving policemen that specializes in hijack of petroleum tankers on the highways and other criminal activities have been nabbed by the police in Delta State.

Also in police net are 11 suspects arrested for armed robbery, 23 for kidnapping, 21 for cultism and 2 arrested for murder.

Parading the suspects before newsmen in Asaba, the Delta State Police Commissioner, Mr Zanna Mohammed Ibrahim said they were all arrested between the 15^th of June 2017 and 23^rd of July,2017.

On how the alleged kingpin of armed robbery cum hijack gang was arrested, the Delta Police boss said “on June 21, 2017, the victim loaded PMS product in his truck with registration No 960 Delta from Oghara and was heading to Onitsha, Anambra State.

“On getting to the boundary between Edo/Delta, by Alifikide/Agbor expressway, the truck was stopped by the suspects who were armed, pretending to be men of the anti-vandal team, and then hijacked  the truck, handcuffed the driver and the conductor, pushed them out of the truck and abandoned them in the bush and took the truck with the product to Abavo community in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, sold the product to one Prince Innocent Obaseki, a petrol marketer and abandoned  the hijacked truck on  Ute-Okpu Road in Ika North East Local Government Area Delta State.

“Fortunately, the phone of the kingpin of the gang named Kingsley Ochei, a dismissed police officer was recovered at the scene. SARs men immediately swung into action and arrested the kingpin Kinsley Ochei.

“On interrogation, he confessed five suspects, namely: Ndubisi Okolie, Sgt. Nwankem Ebonzim, Prine Innocent Obaseki, Sgt. Michael Chima and Sgt. Christopher Onyeghor who were subsequently arrested.

“The serving policemen will be internally disciplined, dismissed  and subsequently prosecuted”.

Speaking on kidnap suspects, the CP said Eyemi Eunice and Ejoke  Sunday were arrested in the case of Sakpara Tessy who was kidnapped by 5 armed  men along Udu Road Ovwian-Aladja while 10 other suspects namely; Ejoke Kelly Omoise,  Matthew  Orobote, Godwin Ohwoesiri, Bright Pius, Lucky Godwin, Edo Kingsley, Remember Ikoro, Ese Egone, Osayande Ogie and Braimoh Innocent were arrested in connection  with the kidnap of one Mrs Rose Egokawhere  on her way to the church along Basket Court Road, near Water Resources Warri.

Other kidnap, robbery and cultism suspects arrested during the period under review according to the Commissioner of Police are being investigated and that they will be prosecuted on completion of investigation.