Two members of a six-man shop-looting gang terrorising Anambra and Ebonyi states have been arrested by the police surveillance team attached to Fegge Police Station, Onitsha, Anambra state.
The two suspects whose names were withheld by the investigating police officers (IPOs) to avoid jeopardizing the arrest of other gang members who were not yet aware of the arrest of two of their accomplice, according to sources, were arrested on different dates, based on a tip-off.
According to the source, the surveillance team stumbled into 22 bags of 50 kilogrammes of foreign rice in a hideout at Onitsha and on enquiry, some of the neighbourhood informed them that they saw some men keeping the goods.
The police team, it was learnt, laid an ambush and as soon as one of the suspects sneaked into the hideout to carry some of the bags, probably for sale, they apprehended him and during interrogations, he disclosed the identities of the six-man gang, including their ring leader who was arrested the next day. It was further gathered that the police are still trailing four other members of the syndicate, even as they were not yet aware that two of their members are already in the police custody.
A reliable police source confirmed that the two suspects have made confessional statements as to how they had broken into and looted many shops, with the latest belonging to one Emmanuel Okonkwo at Obosi community near Onitsha which they allegedly broken into at about 3 a.m. and carted away the bags of rice through a dwarf fence.
The Divisional Police Officer at Fegge, Rabiu Garba who simply confirmed the arrest, said he had sent signal about the case to police headquarters, Awka, while investigations are on going.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Emeka Chukwuemeka, DSP, told newsmen on phone as a the time of filing this report that he was yet to receive such a signal to that effect, adding that he would make some contacts and get back to newsmen. [Vanguard]
