Abia Police Command on Wednesday paraded nine suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Biafra Independent Movement (BIM) it arrested in Aba and other parts of the state.
Parading the suspects; Ikedi Orji (38), Samuel Elem (38), Festus Oko (32), Michael Okoroafor (45), and Okoro Chukwu (33), John Ogbu (44), Cyril Elobuike (45), Dominic Onovo (56) and Alika Chukwuemeka (52) at the Police Officers Mess in Umuahia, the state capital, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Chris Ezike items recovered them included two motorcycles, Biafran identify cards, one Biafran magazine, one Biafran National Anthem booklet, one Biafran flag.
Also recovered include three blue shirts being uniform of the outfit with the group’s badges and service number.
According to Ezike, some of the pro-Biafra loyalists were arrested by soldiers on duty at Abia State University Uturu military check point.
He said that the soldiers intercepted five suspects all from Ebonyi while on their way to Owerri, Imo capital on 25th of November while four members of the group were intercepted near Lokponta in Umunneochi on 26th November by the patrol team to Mbala Division.
The Police boss stated that the suspects while admitting to be members of MASSOB/BIM, however denied being members of IPOB.
“Intelligence information is indicative that suspects may be part of the IPOB Group that unleashed mayhem in some states recently,” he said.
Some of the suspects during interview by newsmen said they were only travelling to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Library, for the birthday/memorial lecture of Ojukwu, the late Biafran warlord before they were arrested by the security agent.
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In another development, the Police Commissioner also disclosed that it had recovered N7,933,900 out of the N91,182,389.69 from individuals and groups who masquerade as empowerment companies, church cooperative, poverty alleviation units, Wonder financial institutions among others.
According to him, following the receipt of 6,728 complaints from their victims in Aba, the command had in two past two weeks of his resumption, arrested a total of 57 suspects.
He added that other suspects paraded were involved in various forms of crimes including kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, stealing, child abuse among others.
Worried by the challenges of kidnapping and abductions in Aba, the police boss said it had established the Abia State Command Anti Kidnapping Squad with jurisdiction to cover all parts of the state.
He said that he had appointed a Superintendent of Police as the Sqaud Leader.
Ezike assured that their compact in mitigating the challenges of kidnapping would be felt in the coming days.
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