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From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
The Imo State Police Command has arrested a three-man gang of armed robbers, who disguised themselves as police officers to rob unsuspecting members of the public.
It was learnt that the robbery gang met their waterloo when one of their victims accidentally sighted one of them after being robbed.
Spokesperson of the state command, Michael Abbattam (CSP), said one of the robbers was accidentally seen by their victim, who was earlier robbed of his Lexus 330 SUV, N100,000 and other valuables, along Mbano street in Ikenegbu, Owerri Metropolis.
He said: “Following a distress call received on the 20/7/2022, at about 1800 hours, from a robbery victim who accidentally saw one of the armed robbers, who was among the three armed robbers that robbed him of his ash-colour Lexus 330 SUV with registration number: RLU 08 AH, at gunpoint, on 18/7/2022, at about 1800hrs, along Mbano Street, Aladinma Owerri, Imo State. They forced him into the car boot, took him to a lonely place, robbed him of all his valuables and used his cell phone and transferred N100,000.00 out of his bank account to one of their accounts.
“The team immediately mobilised and stormed the scene and arrested one Goodness Chinaza ‘m’ aged 23 years, residing at Aladinma Owerri, Imo State. On interrogation, he confessed being a member of a robbery gang and admitted robbing the victim. He then led police operatives to arrest Emeka Orji ‘m’ aka “COCO”, aged 24 years, of the same address, while Julius Chigozie ‘m’ escaped.
“On further interrogation, they both revealed where they concealed the stolen vehicle at Rapour Hotel, Amakohia Owerri, lmo State. However, the vehicle was recovered at the station.
“Investigation revealed that the three suspects were residing in a quarter in Aladinma Owerri, where they broke into the apartment of a late police officer in the same quarters, stole his uniforms, bullet proof vests and other valuables. They started using the same to rob innocent citizens.
“Their modus operandi is that they dress up in the stolen uniform, block the road, checking vehicles as if they are genuine police officers. Once they see a flashy car, they will stop the driver and demand the vehicle particulars. In a bid to give them the particulars, they would drag him out and put him in the car boot and zoom off to a safe place where they would rob the innocent victim. Sometimes they end up kidnapping the victim for a ransom, until luck ran against them and they were arrested.
“On searching the house of the suspects, the following items were recovered; one locally made double barrel shotgun, one jack knife, police uniforms/bullet proof vests.”
