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From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
The Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested no fewer than 699 criminal suspects in connection with 372 cases between April and September this year.
The state Commissioner of Police, Hope Okafor, disclosed this yesterday in Abakaliki, the state capital, while briefing journalists on the security situation in the state.
Okafor said the suspects comprised 660 males and 39 females, adding that 309 of them had already been charged to court in connection with 162 cases, while investigations into the remaining cases were still ongoing.
According to her, the command also recovered 31 assorted firearms, 33 rounds of ammunition of different calibres and three vehicles during various operations carried out within the period under review.
The CP said the command’s recent successes were largely achieved through intelligence-led operations and collaboration with members of the public.
She disclosed that operatives of the command, acting on credible intelligence that one Ishali Onuabuchi was in possession of a firearm, proceeded to his residence and arrested him.
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According to her, during the operation, the suspect led the operatives to the residence of Ekenedirichukwu Oge, where one locally made pistol, short guns, three live cartridges and charms were recovered.
Okafor said the suspects were currently assisting the command with investigations, adding that efforts were ongoing to establish their respective roles in the alleged offences.
She said the suspects would be arraigned before the appropriate courts upon the conclusion of investigations.
The commissioner also disclosed that the command had continued to adopt proactive measures to tackle recurring security challenges in the state, particularly those arising from land-related disputes during the farming season.
“In this regard, we have sustained engagements with relevant stakeholders, including farmers, herders, traditional rulers, community leaders and other critical stakeholders, with a view to resolving disputes amicably and preventing them from escalating into violence,” she said.
Okafor added that the command had intensified surveillance and intelligence gathering around identified flashpoints across the state, while personnel were being strategically deployed to such locations to forestall breaches of peace and ensure the safety of residents.
“These strategies have helped to drastically reduce the number of skirmishes encountered in the state,” she said.
