Operatives of the Imo State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit have dismantled a notorious kidnapping syndicate terrorising Ubomiri, Ogbaku, and Ohii communities in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer and a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Henry Okoye, disclosed this in a statement.
In the statement issued in Owerri and made available to newsmen on Sunday, Okoye stated that the operation, which took place on January 16, 2025 in a forest near Agwa, Oguta Local Government Area, led to the arrest of a suspect, Ozioma Dike, after a gun duel.
According to him, Dike confessed to being part of a group responsible for several kidnappings in the area.
He said a pump-action rifle, loaded with seven live rounds of ammunition, and an iPhone, belonging to a victim, who was kidnapped on January 8, 2025, were recovered from the suspect.
He said: “The police are still searching for other members of the syndicate, who fled into the bush during the operation.
“Dike is currently in custody and will be arraigned at the end of the investigation.”
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Okoye further explained that the anti-kidnapping unit also arrested 40-year-old Uchenna Okpara for allegedly stabbing his in-law, Uchenna Unakalamba, to death in Ubomiri.
He said that the incident occurred following a minor dispute involving their children.
He added: “Okpara reportedly attacked Unakalamba with a broken bottle when the dispute escalated.
“Responding to a distress call, police operatives apprehended the suspect and recovered the weapon.
“The victim was confirmed dead at a hospital and the suspect remains in custody, pending the conclusion of investigations and subsequent prosecution.”
Okoye affirmed the command’s determination to intensify efforts in combating violent crimes and maintaining peace and security in the state under the watch of the Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma.
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