The Enugu State Police Command has apprehended eight suspects, including a dismissed soldier, involved in a series of armed robberies and financial fraud in the state. The arrests followed a coordinated operation carried out by the Emene Division, Crack and Octopus Tactical Squads, and the Neighbourhood Watch Group, resulting in the recovery of firearms, ammunition, cash, and other stolen items.
According to police spokesman Daniel Ndukwe, the operation was launched after a distress call regarding an armed robbery at an estate in Emene on November 12, 2024. During the operation, suspect Ismaila Isah (23) was arrested with a locally made pistol, ₦300,450 in cash, and some stolen items. His arrest led to further investigations, which resulted in the capture of Sadik Ahmed (28), a dismissed soldier, and other suspects, including Abbas Usman (33), Mubarak Garba (24), Abubakar Haruna (23), Abubakar Sani (32), Obiri Chukwuebuka (22), and Bright Omeniru (22).
The police recovered two locally made pistols, one of which was loaded with live and expended cartridges, as well as a range of stolen goods, including ten laptops, mobile phones, land documents, jewellery, and other electronics. Investigations revealed that the syndicate had been involved in multiple robberies within Enugu, using victims’ stolen phones and SIM cards to commit fraudulent transactions.
In a further breakthrough, operatives from the Octopus Tactical Squad arrested Chukwuebuka and Omeniru in Owerri, Imo State. The two suspects admitted to using the stolen phones to fraudulently withdraw funds from their victims’ bank accounts, and additional stolen items were recovered, including SIM cards from different networks. The suspects also confessed to transporting stolen goods across state borders, with Sadik Ahmed exploiting his security background to avoid checkpoints.
The suspects are expected to be arraigned in court after the completion of investigations. Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu, praised the operatives for their successful operation and urged them to maintain their efforts in combating criminal activities, especially during the upcoming festive season.
