Kidnapping: Police arrest 32 suspects in Adamawa

The Police Command in Adamawa, in synergy with some professional hunters, had arrested 32 suspects in connection with kidnapping activities in the state. SP Suleiman Nguroje, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Yola on Monday. Nguroje said that the command recorded the success with the support received from the Adamawa Government and the people in the state including media practitioners. He said exhibits recovered from the suspects included N1.6 million, four vehicles, 13 AK-47 rifles, five locally made pistols, 59 live ammunition, four ATM cards, two permanent voter cards, 10 dane guns, seven fabricated guns and charms. The police spokesman also said that the command equally succeeded in dislodging four identified hideouts where the kidnappers normally operate from. Nguroje said the suspects had all been charged to Courts and were awaiting trial, adding that investigations were still ongoing. He added that the command would redouble its efforts aimed at ensuring that residents in the state sleep with their two eyes closed. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Afolabi Babatola, had commended the officers and the hunters for their gallantry. 

Police arrest robbery suspects on 2nd Niger Bridge

Operatives of Anambra State Police Command, attached to Harbour Division, have arrested two robbery suspects dispossessing unsuspecting citizens of their valuables on the recently inaugurated 2nd Niger Bridge. The Police team was on surveillance patrol on the Bridge when they apprehended the suspects who were about to steal expansion joints near the Obosi end of the bridge. A statement issued to journalists in Awka on Monday by DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, Anambra State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), said the suspects are now helping police in further investigations. According to Ikenga, one of the suspects hails from Enugu State and the other from Ebonyi State. The PPRO said when searched, two daggers and five sim cards removed from previously stolen phones, were recovered from the suspects, aged between 20 and 22 years. He added that the Covert Police Team monitored the gang and swooped on them, arresting two of the gangsters while others fled. Ikenga quoted the Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, to have commended the Police Team for its vigilance and courage in confronting the gang. He stated that the CP had directed the owners of the recovered sim cards be located with a view to assembling evidence for successful prosecution of the arrested suspects.

Troops crackdown on oil thieves in Imo, Delta

The Nigeria Army has confirmed its cracked down on illegal refineries in Imo and Delta, with seizure of several litres of illegally refined Petroleum products. The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, made the confirmation in a statement in Abuja. Nwachukwu said the Troops of 343 Artillery Regiment, on Monday, cracked down on an oil thieves’ camp in Obokofia Community in Imo while conducting anti-oil theft operations. According to him, the vigilant troops intercepted 15 sacks and 13 Jerry cans of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) concealed in the camp. He added that the troops also recovered two pumping machines, three power generators, one hose and a tool box used for hacking into oil pipelines. Nwachukwu said the troops, while acting on credible information, on Tuesday, intercepted a wooden boat loaded with 110 sacks of illegally refined AGO concealed in the creeks of Egbema West in Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo. “The vigilant troops equally intercepted two vehicles loaded with 18 sacks of illegally refined AGO within the same general area. “Members of the public are please implored to report any suspected act of sabotage or criminality to security agencies to enhance ongoing operations to curb economic sabotage in the country,” he said. According to him, “Troops of 3 Battalion also on Monday, clamped down on an active illegal oil refining site containing three cooking ovens and six reservoirs at Enokora Community in Burutu LGA of Delta.”

NDLEA intercepts fake $20m on Lokoja-Abuja Highway

A ‘Stop-and-Search’ operation by operatives of the NDLEA on the Lokoja-Abaji (FCT) Highway has yielded 20 million counterfeit dollars. Spokesman of the NDLEA stated on Sunday in Abuja that the fake currencies were recovered from a bus travelling from Lagos and heading to Abuja. He stated that the 53-year-old driver of the vehicle, Onyebuchi Nlededin, was arrested. Babafemi stated also that one Jude Ndubuisi (52) was arrested in a raid on Aug. 17 while in possession of 2.2kg of methamphetamine at Kabusa village, FCT. He added that the suspect was earlier arrested on July 7, 2022 for being in possession of 20.75kg of Indian hemp and that he was on court bail when he was nabbed for yet another drug crime. “Another raid on two notorious drug joints in the FCT – “Dei-Dei’’ and Tora-Bora Hills, led to the recovery of 82.8kg skunk, 1.8kg Rohypnol and 1.2kg diazepam on Wednesday, Aug. 16. “In Osun, NDLEA operatives destroyed clusters of Indian hemp plantations measuring about 3.5 hectares (more than 7.5 tons) at Mopatedo in Ifedayo Local Government Area of the state on Saturday, Aug. 19 “Two suspects – Sunday Otogbo (40), and Peter Makra (35), were arrested inside the Indian hemp farms. “An additional 30kg of Indian hemp and 16.9kg of Indian hemp seeds were also recovered from the farms,’’ he stated. Babafemi added that three other suspects – Ndubuisi Okorie (44), Ebilima Emmanuel (38), and Okechukwu Smart (40), were arrested on Aug. 19 in connection with 168kg of Indian hemp seized from them. The suspects were arrested when their vehicle was intercepted on the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway, he stated. “A shipment of 6,000 capsules of tramadol, 1,200 tablets of `swinol’, 155 bottles of codeine syrup and 20 tablets s of Molly was equally seized on the same road on Sunday Aug. 13. “A follow-up operation at Oyigbo area of Port Harcourt, led to the arrest of the owner of the consignment, Remigius Ogechukwu (33),’’ Babafemi added. He stated also that a teenager, Boniface Odinakachukwu (19), was arrested with 99.4kg skunk at Isikwe Road, Achi in Oji-River Local Government Area of Enugu State on Friday, Aug. 18. The NDLEA spokesman added that a wanted 19-year-old bandit, Aliyu Mohammed Altine, was arrested by NDLEA operatives on Illela-Sokoto Road with some wraps of skunk on Thursday, Aug. 17. Altine was on the wanted list of the police and has since been handed over to the police in Sokoto State for further investigation, Babafemi stated.