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Tag: Abia police

  • Suspects held by Abia police

    Suspects held by Abia police

    The Abia State Commissioner of Police (CP) Michael Ogbizi has paraded three gangs of suspected armed robbers, kidnappers and child traffickers said to have been terrorising the state for a long time.

    Speaking while parading the suspects in Umuahia, the state capital, Ogbizi said that one of the gangs allegedly led by Stanley Ifeanyi was arrested in Aba, the state’s commercial hub, with police uniforms, police bulletproof vest, AK 47 rifle, one single-barrel gun, and one locally made pistol, among others.

    Ogbizi said that the gang has been terrorising the people of Aba for a long time and that the police had been on their trail.

    He said that the command is out to arrest people of such character and make the state free for people to come in and invest, assuring the residents of their security and safety of their property at all times.

    When The Nation questioned Ifeanyi, he said that he bought the police materials from one police man at Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, at the cost N20,000.

    “I have never robbed with police uniform before but I bought them to use them to rob,” Ifeanyi said.

    The next gang the CP paraded was said to be the which waylaid the family of Mr James Kwubiri Okpara, the state commissioner for Housing while on their way back from a trip abroad.

    Ogbizi said that the robbers robbed them of all their valuables, “Since the incident we have been after them as we are determined to ensure that armed robbery and such incidents are completely reduced to the barest minimum in the state”.

    He said that the three-man gang waylaid the commissioner’s family and had been terrorising the people of Abayi and Osisioma areas of Aba.

    “With the arrest of this notorious gang of armed robbers, the residents of these areas can now sleep with their two eyes closed,”Ogbizi said.

    The Abia police boss also paraded a notorious child trafficker known simply as Nma, who has been under police surveillance for years now, saying that when the police raided her place that 13 underage pregnant girls were rescued.

    Ogbizi said that the girls were in various stages of pregnancy and were malnourished, stressing that since their rescue the state government in conjunction with the police have been taking care of their feeding and medical bills.

    He said that Nma would be charged for murder, child trafficking and kidnapping, “She may have been evading arrest and prosecution for a long time but this time it will no longer be business as usual as she will be made to face the full wrath of the law”.

    In her reaction, Nma said that she has been running a maternity home at her Isiala Ngwa North council area for the past seven years and denied selling children born in her maternity.

    Nma said that she is a registered nurse and those girls are always brought to her place by those who want to help them, “Whenever they come I always ask them to bring their guardians before they are taken in”.

    The CP also recovered a Volkswagen Golf car with the registration number AQ 26-UMA which was snatched from its owner among other items such as Plasma TV and others.

  • Six policemen dismissed for negligence of duty

    Six policemen dismissed for negligence of duty

    … Dismissed cops to be prosecuted – CP

    Abia State Police Commissioner, Adeleye Oyebade, said on Saturday a least six policemen would be prosecuted for negligence of duty.

    The six policemen have been dismissed from the force after they were found guilty for negligence of duty during an orderly rom trial.

    Explaing what led to cops’ orderly room trial, the police commissioner said the dismissed men allowed some suspects to escape from custody of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligent Department (SCIID) in Umuahia, the state capital.

    He added that three suspects – Kingsley Anyim,Chijioke Chukwu and Emeka Ukaegbu – have been rearrested with the firearms which they made away with during their escape.

    He said efforts were ongoing to recover one of the AK47 rifles which the suspects took away.

    Oyebade said the policemen would soon be arraigned in court.

    The CP said: “On September 2, at about 0130hrs some suspects in the anti- kidnapping section (D7) of the SCIID Umuahia cell escaped from the detention facility.

    “The suspects made away with two AK47 rifles kept outside the armoury for quick response to emergencies, to facilitate their escape.

    “The inmates conceived the escape and nurtured it into fruition due to the negligence/absence from duty of the policemen scheduled for duty on that fateful day.

    “While all the officers involved in the act of negligence/absence from duty have all been taken through the Force approved disciplinary action and dismissed from the Force, the officers will soon be prosecuted.”

     

     

  • Abia police arrest suspected robber, recover two stolen vehicles

    Abia police arrest suspected robber, recover two stolen vehicles

    A suspected armed robber, Iheariorochi Enyinna, has been arrested by men of Abia State Police Command. The 28-year-old suspect was said to have snatched one Passat Volkswagen Wagon with fake registration number number AGL 687 AQ at gun point. A Berretta pistol which the suspect allegedly used to snatch the car was also recovered from him. The suspect, according to the police had confessed to snatching the vehicle with original registration number KRD 289 AW sometime in February 2017 at Arochukwu in Abia State.

    Speaking during a press briefing at the state police command headquarters on Tuesday, Commissioner of Police (CP) Adeleye Oyebade said: ’’On April 7, 2017 at about 1030hrs, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives attached to Obehie, acting on a tip off, arrested one Iheariorochi Enyinna, aged 28 years, ‘m’ of Ogwe Asa but resident in Umuebulungwu village Ukwa- East and recovered from him, one Passat Volkswagen Wagon with fake registration number AGL 687 AQ and parts of Berretta Pistol suspected to have been used in snatching the car. The suspect has confessed snatching the vehicle which original registration number KRD 289 AW sometime in February 2017 at Arochukwu in Abia State and is giving a lead towards the arrest of his accomplices.’’ CP Oyebade also disclosed that a stolen Volkswagen Vento car was recovered from the residence of one Ambrose, who is now at large.

    The vehicle, according to Oyebade was snatched from one Johnson, a cab driver, while conveying kegs of palm oil to a community in the state. The vehicle was subsequently recovered by men of the State Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS) at Mkporobe village in Ukwa East Local Government Area. He said:’’On April 2, 2017, at about 0230hrs, one Johnson, a cab driver reported at Obehie Police Station that his vehicle, Volkswagen Vento car with registration number, FST 411 CN, used in conveying 35 kegs of palm oil from Akwa-Ibom to Port-Harcourt was snatched from him by four men armed with clubs and iron rods at Oke-Ikpe town in Obehie.

    Consequent upon the report, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and patrol teams attached to Obehie and Akwette Divisions were placed on alert and intensive search for the vehicle and its contents commenced immediately. ‘’ Then at about 0630hrs of same date, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) team attached to Obehie Area traced the vehicle to the house of one Ambrose at Mkporobe village in Ukwa East Local Government Area of Abia State. The vehicle with 29 kegs of palm oil, some house breaking equipment such as two hammers, cutters and two black caps purportedly used to cover faces were recovered in his house. Efforts are in progress toward tracking down the said Ambrose and his gang members.’

  • Abia police to name lawyers backing criminals

    Abia police to name lawyers backing criminals

    Abia State Commissioner of Police Adeleye Oyebade has said the command will soon make public names of lawyers whose work is to defend robbers in court.
    Oyebade spoke at Osisioma divisional headquarters, during a tour of the 16 divisions under the Aba Area Command. He said for the war on crime to be won, the police must work with the judiciary.
    The police chief said he was relocating the command headquarters to the state’s commercial hub to be aware of activities of his men in Aba and environs.
    He noted that the command is doing all it can to instil discipline and fish out “bad eggs” among its officers and men, saying many of them have been tried, demoted and in extreme cases, dismissed from the service.
    Oyebade urged his men to be dogged in crime fighting because of the persistent efforts of hoodlums and criminal elements to beat security intelligence.

  • Abia police inaugurates tactical response squad

    The Abia State Police Command has inaugurated 300 officers and men into the newly introduced special tactical response squad, otherwise known as “operation combatant ready”.

    Commissioner of Police Leye Oyebade, at the inauguration yesterday, said the three operational units – Aba, Umuahia and Ohafia centres – were designed to cover the three zones of the state.

    Oyebade said this would reduce crime and assured the people the crime-preventive squad will work with the government.

    The police boss added that the inspector general of Police and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu provided them with logistics and support.

  • Abia police arrest child trafficking syndicate

    •Parades fake soldier 

    The police in Abia State has arrested four persons for suspected child trafficking.

    It was gathered that the suspects were arrested after a victim who was lured to Umuahia raised the alarm.

    A statement by police spokesman Ezekiel Onyeke Udeviotu gave the names of the suspects as Chidubem Nwachukwu, Florence Nwokocha, Chukwunonye Emerenini and Onyekwere Okeiyi.

    Udeviotu said Nwachukwu met the victim at a motor park in Aba, begging with her two children. He promised to marry her and take care of her children. Seeing him as Godsent, she followed him to Umuahia.

    “Chidubem Nwachukwu arranged with his gang and stole the children from the complainant. The victim, sensing that her children had been kidnapped, raised the alarm and the suspect was arrested,” the statement said. Her children and one other were also rescued.

    Udeviotu said Nwachukwu’s statement led to the arrest of his gang members, including a female amputee who claimed to be a social welfare officer with the Umuahia North Local Government Area.

    The police spokesman said the intelligence team was on the trail of the other members with a view to rescuing more victims and ensuring that the culprits are brought to justice.

    The command also paraded a 24-year-old old fake soldier who specialises in car theft.

    The suspect, who claimed to be a trained surgeon from Maddona University, said hard times forced him into robbery.

    He was arrested in Onitsha, Anambra State and brought to Umuahia after stealing a Toyota Camry in Abia State, which he sold to his uncle.

    The suspect, whose real name is Ahanna Ogueze, bears Lt. Col. Aliyu Danjuma in Abia state and Lt. Col. Thompson Adedeji in Imo state.

    Ogueze was arrested after stealing a Camry while test-running it for the owner who wanted to sell. He took the car to Onitsha but it was recovered in Anambra State.

    Commissioner of Police Joshak Habila said the tracking device installed in the car helped to trace it to his uncle who bought it in Onitsha.

    Habila urged the public to adopt simple security measures that will protect their belongings, such as using pedal locks and installing tracking devices in their vehicles.

    Ogueze confessed to be a lone operator. He said he attended Nigeria Military School in Zaria, Kaduna State, having had a military step-father. He added that he bought his uniforms from an open market in Ojo, Lagos State.

    The Toyota Camry, a Toyota Avalon and a Lincoln Navigator, tags, and a fake medical corps identity card, were recovered from Ogueze.

  • Abia police recover stolen vehicle

    Abia police recover stolen vehicle

    The police in Aba, Abia State, have recovered a Lexus 330 belonging to an Aba-based businessman. Some hoodlums, last week attempted to kidnap the businessman but the attempt was foiled by the police. The hoodlums escaped in the man’s vehicle.

    Sources within the police command said the car was recovered near Okpu Umuobo on the outskirts of Aba, by a patrol team who were acting on a tip-off.

    The owner’s whereabouts remain unknown but the source said the police would intensify the search for the hoodlums.

  • Man petitions Abia police on missing father

    Man petitions Abia police on missing father

    President of Aba, Mr. Onyekachi Ogbuobulu has petitioned the Abia State Commissioner of Police, Joshiak Habila on the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of his father, Christopher Ogbuobulu.

    The younger Ogbuobulu wants the police chief to investigate the role, if any, played by the State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Obehie, under Ukwa West Police Station in any matter relating to the disappearance.

    The petitioner equally wants the police to determine whether or not Cobil Transport Company, for which the Senior Ogbuobulu worked as a driver, had anything to do with the incident.

    In the petition written through his counsel, Charles Eduzor, Onyekachi Ogbuobulu said his father, a trailer driver with Cobil, was asked on July 16 to deliver bottled drinks of Nigerian Breweries from Aba to Umuahia, the state capital.

    Onyekachi said that his father could not embark on the journey that day because it was late when the consignment was loaded into his truck, adding that his father moved to the consignment to Umuahia the following day, hoping to return to his base the same day.

    According to Onyekachi, his father left Aba for Umuahia with his bus assistant also called conductor.

    Both men have not been seen since that morning, Onyekachi told the police in the petition.

    Part of the petition read, “After waiting till Monday, July 20, 2015 and my clients did not see their father/relation, they proceeded to the Nigerian Breweries factory in Aba where the staff initially said they were also looking for the vehicle and goods but later said they tracked the vehicle to Ofuosu presumably in Edo State being driven by a dismissed driver of the said Cobil Transport Company with the goods intact.

    “Later the vehicle with goods were recovered ostensibly with the assistance of the police and brought down to Abia State, including the vehicle and goods, the said dismissed driver of Cobil and another staff of Nigerian Breweries Plc described as a Tracking Manager were handed over to the SARS at Obehie, but sadly, neither Mr. Christopher Ogbuobulu nor his conductor has been seen till today.”

    Onyekachi said the immediate family members of the missing man have been worried about the manner in which police at Obehie hurriedly released the vehicle and the goods inside together with those arrested with them without bothering to find out what happened to their breadwinner and the bus attendant.

    Abia command police public relations officer (PPRO), Ezekiel Onyeke told The Nation on the phone that he was yet to be briefed on the matter.

  • Abia police seek partnership in crime-fighting

    Abia police seek partnership in crime-fighting

    Abia State Commissioner of Police, CP Joshiak Habila has solicited the cooperation and partnership of Abians in helping police and other security agencies in the state to fight crime and insecurity.

    Abia Police Command Public Relations Officer, Ezekiel Onyeke speaking on behalf of the CP disclosed that the essence of the collaboration was to make Abia a crime-free state where economic and business activities thrive.

    According to him, “security has gone beyond the traditional policing of yesteryear where your mind goes to the police. Security is the baby of every good citizen of this country; everybody has a role to play. Everybody is a stakeholder in the fight against crime because if we serve,  we are our brothers’ keeper, we watch our brothers back, this people who are operating in our society, giving us sleepless night are human beings; they are our brothers and our relations. If we are fed up with their conduct and we give information that could lead to their being apprehended, it will save us a lot of nightmare.

    “What the police is asking for is giving us timely and credible information from well-meaning Nigerians to curb the activities of criminal elements within our neighbourhood. They should not fear coming to give police information because gone are the days when police after getting information will divulge his source of information. So they should be free to call the police to give us credible information and we will act on it promptly. If it is verifiable one, we will definitely act on it but when we discovered that it is falsehood, we will forget about it.

    “The problem that we have is that, people after giving police information and the police acted on it, you will see them may be out of excitement will be going about telling people that he or she was the person that gave police the information about such action or may be that he is a police informant. The satisfaction should be within self and not going about boasting of being agent of the police because that is where the problem comes from is what I have earlier said but to say that the police will go ahead to divulge information is not totally true because 95% of police today will never disclose their source of information .

    Onyeke who noted that the command have achieved a lot of successes after some members of the general public started partnering with the security agency on behalf of Abia Police chief expressed hope that they would continue to enjoy the “robust relationship with members of the public” even as they promised to continue not to make the state a safe haven for criminal elements.

    The PPRO also used the opportunity to disclose some of the achievements the State Command recorded in the past few months through the assistance of the general public which includes the arrest of Victor Onyenechihie and Timothy Onyenechihie brothers from Ohuru-Isimiri village in Obingwa Local Government Area of the state who were terrorizing the community where on May 18 arrested through a tip-off.

    Some of the items recovered from them were a locally made revolver pistol using .9mm ammunition, iron seal of Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri, an official stamp of the institution’s Deputy Registrar and a military camouflage.

    The Police spokesman also disclosed that detectives from Ubakala Police Station on May 20 “arrested One Ezekiel Samuel Nwoke at Amuzu Ubakala, Umuahia South Local Government Area by some vigilant community member and on alerting the police who swung into action, unregistered black Sayang motorcycle”, adding that Nwoke’s companion now at large, who feign illness and pretended to be vomiting, escaped after throwing an object into the nearby bush.

    The object which was recovered was discovered The Nation learnt was an American made revolver pistol-NEF: CO INC Garderder MA model R373 No. NB 005177.

    The suspect and the recovered pistol were referred to the State Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) for further investigation.

    He added that the Police at Ubakala, in the same Umuahia South also recovered a tricycle suspected to have been abandoned by yet to be identified hoodlums.

    According to him “the police had received information at around 1:15am that thieves were breaking into shops at Avodim Ubakala. The thieves on sighting the Police patrol team abandoned the Tricycle at Mgbarakuma Ubakala when it became obvious that the Police was closing in on them.

    “The tricycle with Reg. No. ABIA, ACH 321 QA, security no. Ab/mot/umu/61/6114 was recovered by Police who are still making efforts to track down the thieves”.

    Onyeke who maintained that police was working to ensure that there was peace and security in the state therefore urged members of the public to always call the police hotlines whenever they are in distress, adding that with the maximum cooperation and understanding of members of the public crime would be drastically minimised in the state.

     

  • Abia police caution personnel

    Abia police caution personnel

    Abia State’s new Commissioner of Police Habila Joshak has warned personnel in the command against any acts that may breach the smooth conduct of the electoral process.

    Joshak who was speaking during his familiarisation visit at the Aba Area Command said that the Abia State Command would not hesitate to try, persecute or recommend the dismissal from service, any of its official found to be involved in any form of electoral malpractice.

    Responding to a question, the Abia CP said, “Let me assure you that the policemen are only going to be posted to polling stations to ensure there is smooth conduct of election. We (police) don’t touch sensitive and non-sensitive materials. Our main duty is to make sure that criminal element or those that doesn’t want the elections to be free and fair will be brought to book. It is the end of the road and the game will be over for any police officer that will be caught in any act of electoral malpractice because we are not going to condone such”.

    The Abia Police boss who said that they were working in partnership with other sister agencies to ensure that electoral laws and guidelines were obeyed on March 28 and April 11 elections, also urged police, military and other security apparatus in the state to get the handbook on electoral guideline for people that would participate in the elections which was recently recommended by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Suleiman Abba.

    According to him, the police and other security agencies were working out modalities to ensure that electoral crisis before, during and after elections would be curtailed, hinting that they have designed a mop up measures for any electoral crisis outburst.

    Joshak while lauding the cooperation existing between the police in Aba, the PCRC (Police Community Relations Committee) in various police divisions, army and among other security agencies called for more synergy to enable them nip crime in all place in the bud and to also ensure that the country’s democracy wasn’t truncated.

    The commissioner who had once served in the state as a youth corps member and a police officer said he knew the importance of Aba to the economy of the state, southeast and the nation as a whole also assured Aba and Abia residents including visitors alike that police in collaboration with other security agencies were willing to make the commercial nerve center a safe haven for their businesses to thrive, warning hoodlums in Aba and the state to relocate to another place as he would make the state uncomfortable for their operation.

    ”I am encouraged when I learnt about the cooperation between the police and other sister agencies in Aba. Such is not even obtainable at the state capital. It is important that we deemphasise the attention on the superiority of ranks and come together and share ideas on how best we can fight crime and achieve a peaceful and habitual environment to allow business and economic to thrive. Crime fighting should be a collaborative efforts and I am going to ensure that the police will work together and synergize with other security agencies to ensure that we fight crime in Aba and Abia Sate in general”.

    On the use of policemen by revenue contractors in their drive which has become a norm in the state, he directed that on no account should the police be used for revenue drive unless they were executing an order of court of competent jurisdiction, warning that any police officer used in revenue drive by any agent or contractor without the knowledge of the State Command risk losing his job.

    The CP who had earlier inspected some of the ongoing reconstruction and refurbishing of offices and police quarters in the Area Command called on DPOs (Divisional Police Officers) to emulate the pace set by the Area Commander, Peter Wagbara who despite the paucity of funds has improve the infrastructural condition of the command.

    He assured them that their welfare and logistic challenges facing the command would be properly addressed and urged them to ensure that they use whatever little logistics that the IGP had provided for them optimally to ensure productivity.

    Earlier in the speeches, the Deputy Comptroller of Prisons in Aba Prison, Emmanuel Maduako and Prince Ambassador Emma Nwosu, state chairman, PCRC on behalf of other security agencies in Enyimba city and members of the PCRC expressed happiness over the progress recorded so far by the Wagbara led administration since he assumed office in the command.

    Maduako noted that in the number of years he has put into service, it was in Aba under the administration of the Area Commander that he has witnessed the coming together of police and other sister agencies to a round table despite their ranks and differences in job functions to discuss on how to improve security and work collaboratively to fight crime and other criminality, stressing that it has breached the gap and also make them see reasons why they should work harmoniously with each other.

    The PCRC chairman also expressed their willingness to continue working together with DPOs of various commands in Aba and the state police command and assured that the lessons they learnt from the Aba Police boss will be replicated in other various police divisions in the state.

    The police commissioner before departing the command held an interactive session with officers and men in the command which it was learnt bordered on their welfare, the March 28 and April 11 elections and how best they can work effectively to tackle crime in Aba.

    Some policemen who chose to speak off record described the CP’s visit as a morale booster and hope that they would enjoy better and improved working condition under the current leadership of the police in the state and national level, stating that they were committed to ensure that they work harmoniously with the state police commissioner while his stay in the state lasted.