Ebonyi State Police Command goes hunting ;Arrests kidnappers, robbers, recover guns as new CP talks tough
The new Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Command Peace Ibekwe Abdallah was recently ruffled by the spate of kidnappings and armed robbery attacks that greeted her assumption of duty. But she is fighting back and appears to be wining the war against the criminals.
Apparently feeling slighted by the show of bravado by men of the underworld in her first week in office as the commissioner of police, Peace Ibekwe Abdallah has recorded her first victory against hoodlums operating in the state.
Before the recent incident which led to the arrest of a five-man gang of kidnappers and armed robbers operating between Afkpo axis and Abia State, Ebonyi had come under severe attacks by criminals.
The arrest of the kidnappers was celebrated across the length and breadth of the state especially in Afkpo, where the suspects had held sway, snatching away people at will and smiling home with large sums of money as ransom.
Within the first week Abdallah took over, a medical doctor working with the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, was abducted by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers. The incident happened in his private hospital at Agu Ogboriga Estate, Abakaliki.
The victim, (names withheld) who is also a senior pastor with the Redeem Christian Church of God, (RCGG), Abakaliki, was allegedly kidnapped while attending to patients in a private hospital at 9 pm by gunmen who operated on a motorcycle.
The Ebonyi State police boss said operatives of the state Anti Robbery Squad, SARS and other police teams however swung into action and rescued the victim.
Mrs. Abdallah, while briefing newsmen during her maiden conference with officers and men of the Ebonyi State Police Command, disclosed that a combined team of SARS, Special Investigation Bureau, SIB and patrol teams from both the Central Police Station (CPS) and Area Command, Abakaliki, went after the criminals and rescued the kidnapped medical doctor and pastor while efforts were on to arrest the fleeing members of the kidnap gang.
“To all who want to bring disquiet and disorder to Ebonyi State, I warn that we will engage you with all our lawful force to ensure that you are dealt with. I know that key stakeholders in Ebonyi State and civil agencies will partner us.”
The recent breakthrough by the command according to the commissioner was as a result of robust civilian/police relationship which she said led to the sharing of vital information that led to the arrest of the suspects at various parts of the state. She pledged for the sustenance of such cooperation, saying that it was useful for effective community policing.
Parading the suspects at the command headquarters, Abakaliki, Abdallah said they were arrested at various parts of the state after they had been on the wanted list of the police.
She said the command through the anti robbery squad, SARS had swung into action after trailing the suspects who had on September 11, kidnapped the Afikpo Zonal Manager of the Nigerian Breweries Plc and demanded N50 million as ransom.
“On September 11, 2015, at about 20 49hrs, the Afikpo Zonal Manager of NBL (name withheld) was kidnapped at the entrance to his street, off Ndibe Beach Road, Afkpo. The kidnappers demanded for N50 million ransom from his wife. But after a series of negotiations, the amount was reduced to N300, 000. But at the point of collection of the said ransom around Afikpo Government Secondary School, the Anti Kidnapping team of Ebonyi State Police Command unknown to them had taken over the scene; it arrested two members of the gang who had come to collect the ransom.”
Mrs. Abdallah further disclosed that a locally-made, double-barrel pistol with two live cartridges was recovered from them, adding that the suspects volunteered vital information that led to the successful rescue of the victim who was being held captive at Ubakala community in Abia State.
She also said that another building suspected to be kidnappers’ den was invaded by a combined team of men of the Anti Kidnapping and SARS where two persons suspected to be kidnappers were also arrested. According to her, the police recovered one locally-made, double-barrel pistol and other dangerous weapons.
The police commissioner further warned all criminal elements to keep off Ebonyi State as the command was ready to tackle them headlong and make them face the long arm of the law, assuring the general public that their safety was guaranteed.
She paraded items suspected to belong to various kidnap and armed robbery gangs recovered by the police from various parts of the state. The items include, one Ak 47 rifle with two magazines, 2.58 Ak 47 live ammunition, 3.5 rounds of K2 live ammunition, 4.12 rounds of live cartridges, 5.4 locally-made, single-barrel guns, 6.1 pair of army camouflage boot and 7.6 rounds of live Ak 47 ammunition. The police also recovered one locally-made revolver pistol and two live 9mm ammunition from the kidnap suspect in Afikpo.
She said efforts were being intensified by the command to arrest the fleeing members of the dangerous gang which specialised in kidnapping and armed robbery, while assuring that those already arrested would soon be charged to court after investigations.
Speaking, one of the suspects, who gave his name as Gabriel said he was led into the crime by his friend who hails from Abia State. He disclosed that when they went into kidnapping, to their surprise, they found out that it was profitable.
“I am a bus driver and not a kidnapper,” he said. “It was during one of my trips to Abia State that I met Toochukwu who introduced me to crime and from time-to-time, he would come down to my village in Afikpo to persuade me to join; that was how I got fully involved in this.”
He however, denied involvement in the recent kidnap of the NBL zonal manager, adding that he traveled when the crime was carried out and denied ever receiving any share of the ransom collected by his colleagues.
The Sun
Apparently feeling slighted by the show of bravado by men of the underworld in her first week in office as the commissioner of police, Peace Ibekwe Abdallah has recorded her first victory against hoodlums operating in the state.
Before the recent incident which led to the arrest of a five-man gang of kidnappers and armed robbers operating between Afkpo axis and Abia State, Ebonyi had come under severe attacks by criminals.
The arrest of the kidnappers was celebrated across the length and breadth of the state especially in Afkpo, where the suspects had held sway, snatching away people at will and smiling home with large sums of money as ransom.
Within the first week Abdallah took over, a medical doctor working with the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, was abducted by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers. The incident happened in his private hospital at Agu Ogboriga Estate, Abakaliki.
The victim, (names withheld) who is also a senior pastor with the Redeem Christian Church of God, (RCGG), Abakaliki, was allegedly kidnapped while attending to patients in a private hospital at 9 pm by gunmen who operated on a motorcycle.
The Ebonyi State police boss said operatives of the state Anti Robbery Squad, SARS and other police teams however swung into action and rescued the victim.
Mrs. Abdallah, while briefing newsmen during her maiden conference with officers and men of the Ebonyi State Police Command, disclosed that a combined team of SARS, Special Investigation Bureau, SIB and patrol teams from both the Central Police Station (CPS) and Area Command, Abakaliki, went after the criminals and rescued the kidnapped medical doctor and pastor while efforts were on to arrest the fleeing members of the kidnap gang.
“To all who want to bring disquiet and disorder to Ebonyi State, I warn that we will engage you with all our lawful force to ensure that you are dealt with. I know that key stakeholders in Ebonyi State and civil agencies will partner us.”
The recent breakthrough by the command according to the commissioner was as a result of robust civilian/police relationship which she said led to the sharing of vital information that led to the arrest of the suspects at various parts of the state. She pledged for the sustenance of such cooperation, saying that it was useful for effective community policing.
Parading the suspects at the command headquarters, Abakaliki, Abdallah said they were arrested at various parts of the state after they had been on the wanted list of the police.
She said the command through the anti robbery squad, SARS had swung into action after trailing the suspects who had on September 11, kidnapped the Afikpo Zonal Manager of the Nigerian Breweries Plc and demanded N50 million as ransom.
“On September 11, 2015, at about 20 49hrs, the Afikpo Zonal Manager of NBL (name withheld) was kidnapped at the entrance to his street, off Ndibe Beach Road, Afkpo. The kidnappers demanded for N50 million ransom from his wife. But after a series of negotiations, the amount was reduced to N300, 000. But at the point of collection of the said ransom around Afikpo Government Secondary School, the Anti Kidnapping team of Ebonyi State Police Command unknown to them had taken over the scene; it arrested two members of the gang who had come to collect the ransom.”
Mrs. Abdallah further disclosed that a locally-made, double-barrel pistol with two live cartridges was recovered from them, adding that the suspects volunteered vital information that led to the successful rescue of the victim who was being held captive at Ubakala community in Abia State.
She also said that another building suspected to be kidnappers’ den was invaded by a combined team of men of the Anti Kidnapping and SARS where two persons suspected to be kidnappers were also arrested. According to her, the police recovered one locally-made, double-barrel pistol and other dangerous weapons.
The police commissioner further warned all criminal elements to keep off Ebonyi State as the command was ready to tackle them headlong and make them face the long arm of the law, assuring the general public that their safety was guaranteed.
She paraded items suspected to belong to various kidnap and armed robbery gangs recovered by the police from various parts of the state. The items include, one Ak 47 rifle with two magazines, 2.58 Ak 47 live ammunition, 3.5 rounds of K2 live ammunition, 4.12 rounds of live cartridges, 5.4 locally-made, single-barrel guns, 6.1 pair of army camouflage boot and 7.6 rounds of live Ak 47 ammunition. The police also recovered one locally-made revolver pistol and two live 9mm ammunition from the kidnap suspect in Afikpo.
She said efforts were being intensified by the command to arrest the fleeing members of the dangerous gang which specialised in kidnapping and armed robbery, while assuring that those already arrested would soon be charged to court after investigations.
Speaking, one of the suspects, who gave his name as Gabriel said he was led into the crime by his friend who hails from Abia State. He disclosed that when they went into kidnapping, to their surprise, they found out that it was profitable.
“I am a bus driver and not a kidnapper,” he said. “It was during one of my trips to Abia State that I met Toochukwu who introduced me to crime and from time-to-time, he would come down to my village in Afikpo to persuade me to join; that was how I got fully involved in this.”
He however, denied involvement in the recent kidnap of the NBL zonal manager, adding that he traveled when the crime was carried out and denied ever receiving any share of the ransom collected by his colleagues.
The Sun
Ebonyi State Police Command goes hunting ;Arrests kidnappers, robbers, recover guns as new CP talks tough
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Thursday, September 24, 2015
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