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• Rescue 3 abductees chained to pillars
A houseboy, whose identity was yet to be ascertained at the time of this report, was said to have murdered his master in Ifite village, Awka in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The victim, simply identified as Chima, was said to be a lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and had employed the boy as a domestic staff.
The boy, who hails from Ebonyi State, had confessed in a viral video that he hit his master with a pestle about three times on his head before he passed out. He narrated that a misunderstanding between them degenerated into a fight.
He narrated: “When he came back, he told me to cook rice. And as I was cooking the rice, he asked me why I did not wash plates. I did not reply to him. And then, he further asked why I wasn’t responding to his question.
“In the process, he slapped me. But I told him I usually have ear problems, and that people don’t slap me. As I was saying that, he angrily asked if I was still talking while he was talking, and, therefore, slapped me again. He then brought out a cane and started flogging me. In the process, I got angry, and we started fighting. It was also in the process of that fight that I picked up the pestle in the kitchen and hit him on the head. I hit him three times.”
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, told Daily Sun that he was yet to hear about it.
Meanwhile, police operatives and the men of local vigilance have arrested a three-man robbery gang terrorising parts of the state in Anaocha Local Government Area. The PPRO, in a statement, said the security operatives recovered two pistols and a stolen tricycle, popularly known as Keke NAPEP. He said the thieves had snatched the tricycle from its owner at Agu Awka, and were fleeing through Anaocha before they were apprehended.
The statement reads: “Police at Neni in Anaocha LGA of Anambra State have intercepted an armed robbery gang that snatched a tricycle from the owner in Agu-Awka on 15/7/2023 (Saturday night).
“The gang was smashed following information received from the police in Awka that the gang was fleeing towards Anaocha LGA. The police, who were on patrol with the local vigilance, laid an ambush for the robbers and got them apprehended. One Beretta pistol and one locally made Chief Revolver pistol, 12 rounds of life, and one expended ammunition were recovered from the three-man gang. The tricycle has also been recovered. The suspects arrested are Ebuka ‘M’ age 22 years of Umunze, Chinedu ‘M’ aged 23 years from Enugu State, and Udegbunam ‘M’ 18 years of Neni.
“The Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, has assured members of the public and Ndi Anambra that the confidence reposed in the command for the maintenance of law and order and pursuit of justice shall not be taken for granted. He has directed that the suspects be arraigned in court after a diligent investigation.”
In yet another development, police operatives from the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu have rescued three abductees chained to a pillar in Okija community, Ihiala LGA. The police spokesperson, in another statement, said a notorious gang leader they had arrested before made confessions that led to the rescue of the victims.
“On 14/07/2023, at about 1600hrs (4pm), police operatives from Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, acting on credible information, stormed the compound of one Aduba, alias Totoritor, at Umuohi village, Okija, and rescued three abducted citizens chained to building pillars by insurgents.
“Two suspects, namely, Chukwujekwu ‘M’ aged 31 years, Ikwuanusi ‘M’, aged 55 years, were arrested for interrogation. The feat followed the confession made by the notorious gang leader, popularly known as ‘Totoritor’, who was arrested earlier and had been in police custody. He was positively identified on 6/7/2023 by a victim with gunshot injury before he was arrested.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the rescued citizens have been kept incommunicado and chained to pillars in the above-mentioned compound for weeks before their rescue. Efforts are ongoing to arrest the other fleeing members of the gang.
“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, has urged the good people of Anambra State to disregard propaganda by outlawed groups and continue to partner with the police and other security agencies in the state to restore peace to Anambra State.
“They are encouraged to report suspicious persons and unusual movements they may observe to the nearest police station. The ‘NPF rescue me app’ is also available for free download on both Android and Apple IOS, for Android and iPhone users, respectively,” the statement reads.
