By John Ogunsemore
A dismissed soldier, Sadik Ahmed, and seven other members of an interstate criminal syndicate have been arrested by the Enugu State Police Command.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Daniel Ndukwe disclosed this in a Saturday statement.
Arrested alongside the 28-year-old dismissed soldier are Ismaila Isah, 23, Abbas Usman, 33, Mubarak Garba, 24, and Abubakar Haruna, 23.
Others are Abubakar Sani, 32, Obiri Chukwuebuka, 22, and Bright Omeniru, 22.
The police spokesman said the interstate criminal syndicate specialised in armed robbery and financial fraud.
He said the arrest of the syndicate was achieved through coordinated operations involving the Emene Division, Crack, and Octopus Tactical Squads, alongside the Neighbourhood Watch Group.
Items recovered from the suspects include firearms, ammunition, cash, and other stolen items.
“Two locally-made pistols loaded with a live and expended cartridge and a cash sum of ₦300,450.00 were recovered.
“Further recovered are ten laptops, land documents, ten mobile phones, assorted jewellery and watches, one MP3 player, one headphone, four power banks, two SIM cards, footwear, and bags,” he said.
Ndukwe said the operation commenced on November 12, around 3:30 a.m., when operatives from the Emene Division, supported by Neighbourhood Watch members, responded to a distress call regarding an armed robbery at an estate in Emene.
The PPRO said, “During the operation, Ismaila Isah was apprehended with one locally made pistol, the said ₦300,450.00, and some stolen items, while others escaped.
“Ismaila was later transferred to the Crack Tactical Squad for further investigation.
“His confessional statements and subsequent discreet investigations led to the arrest of Sadik Ahmed, Abbas Usman, Mubarak Garba, Abubakar Haruna, and Abubakar Sani at their hideouts in New Garriki, Awkunanaw, Enugu. Another locally made pistol and additional stolen items were recovered.”
Ndukwe said operatives from the Octopus Tactical Squad utilised an intelligence report and arrested Obiri Chukwuebuka and Bright Omeniru in Owerri, Imo State.
“During interrogation, they admitted to using phones stolen by the syndicate to fraudulently withdraw funds from victims bank accounts.
“Two SIM cards from different networks were also recovered.
“Investigations reveal that the suspects confessed to committing multiple armed robberies within the Enugu metropolis and using the victims’ mobile phones’ SIM cards to also commit acts of fraud.
“They further confessed to moving and selling the stolen proceeds in Imo and other States.
“Sadik Ahmed, the dismissed soldier, admitted to exploiting his background as a former security agent to bypass checkpoints during the interstate shipment of the stolen items.”
Ndukwe said the suspects would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
Meanwhile, the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu commended the operatives for the operational breakthroughs and urged them to sustain the momentum against criminal activities, especially during the festive season.