The Anambra State Police Command has arrested two suspected armed robbers linked to a proscribed secessionist group following a fierce gun battle at Enugwu-Agidi Junction in Dunukofia Local Government Area of the state.
The arrest was confirmed in a statement released on Thursday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga. He said the operation took place in the early hours of Wednesday after police operatives engaged a five-man gang in a gun duel that lasted about two hours.
According to Ikenga, the arrest represents another major operational breakthrough in the command’s sustained efforts to rid Anambra State of criminal elements and ensure the safety of lives and property. He explained that operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, acted on credible and actionable intelligence before laying an ambush for the suspects.
“Upon sighting the operatives, the suspects engaged the officers in a fierce gun battle,” Ikenga said. “Two of the armed suspects sustained fatal gunshot injuries, while three others escaped the scene with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.”
During the operation, the police recovered one T.06 rifle, two pump-action guns, 24 rounds of T.06 ammunition, 15 live cartridges, assorted criminal charms, one cult red beret, and a black Toyota Highlander vehicle.
The police spokesperson further disclosed that one of the suspects, before succumbing to his injuries, confessed that the gang was involved in an earlier attack on the convoy of a former Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige. He also revealed that the group was affiliated with the Vikings Confraternity and was on a mission to retaliate over the death of one of its members by a rival cult group.
Commending the gallantry of the operatives, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, directed officers to intensify efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspects. He also advised hospitals and medical facilities to promptly report anyone presenting with gunshot injuries to the nearest police station.
The police said investigations are ongoing and assured the public that further developments would be communicated in due course.
Leave a comment