The Abia State Police Command reported that they have detained 110 individuals for various crimes since January 2024. Of these, 108 are males and 2 are females.
Before presenting some of the detainees to the media, Kenechukwu Onwumelie, the state Commissioner of Police, stated that the police have also rescued nine kidnapped children, apprehended 16 pregnant women trying to engage in child trafficking, and rescued victims of kidnapping and rape, among other achievements.
Additionally, the command recovered 23 locally-made single-barreled shotguns, 8 locally-made double-barreled shotguns, 37 live cartridges, 2 pistols, one Dane gun, and one toy gun, among other items.
The CP also mentioned the recovery of a bag of charms, carved images, an iron mortar, a face mask, a tube of Neo-skin cream, a bath soap, an empty eyeglass case, a small empty plastic container, one lighter, a DSTV recorder, mp3, small tiger generator, non-serviceable radio, a cash sum of #127,000, a screwdriver, and a bunch of keys, among other items.
Among the 110 arrested individuals are murder suspects, electricity and railway vandals, armed robbers, and impersonators.
One of the murder cases involved the arrest of Emmanuel Victor, who was caught on video committing the murder of a 500-level student of Abia State University, Emmanuel Uche, in front of Miracle Lodge, Uturu, on 11/3/2024.
Acting on credible intelligence, a police team from Abia State Police Command apprehended the principal suspect, Emmanuel Victor, on 18/4/2024 at Isiukwuato. Victor has confessed to the crime and is currently in custody, awaiting charges.
When questioned by the media, the suspect, Victor, admitted to the murder, saying, “I am here because I committed murder. I actually killed Emmanuel Uche.”
Similarly, the command revealed that on 23/01/2024, a 4-man gang in EFCC uniforms came to Enyioma Christ lodge, Umudike, and robbed students of their phones at gunpoint, forcing them to transfer ₦120,000 to their account.
Upon receiving this information, officers from the Central Police Station (CPS) in Umuahia investigated and arrested three individuals: Onyedikachi Ihechukwumere, Onwuka Christopher, and Tochukwu Obinna, at the Man ‘O War base MOAU.
CP Onwumelie stated that the police recovered three of the stolen phones and a tricycle with Registration No. HAF 011 VG, fleet No. 5868, which was used during the robbery.
Fielding questions from the media, Onwumelie highlighted the command’s achievements in reducing armed robbery, kidnapping, and vandalism of government property, as well as addressing child trafficking, rape, and arson.
Many cases were taken to different courts, and some of them were successfully tried in the legal system.
The Abia State Police Command reported that since January 2024, they have apprehended 110 individuals for different crimes. Among them, 108 are men and 2 are women. Before presenting some of them, the state Commissioner of Police, Kenechukwu Onwumelie, briefed the press through the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Maureen Chinaka.