The Anambra State police operatives have made a significant breakthrough by apprehending six suspected members of a notorious criminal gang that have been terrorizing the Eziowelle community and its surrounding areas for a long time.
The police recovered several weapons from the gang, including three English pump-action rifles and other dangerous weapons that they used for their operations.
The suspects were apprehended following reports about their criminal activities in the area, which the state Commissioner of Police, Echeng Echeng, received.
The gang has allegedly been using an illegal vigilante group to kidnap, rob, intimidate, and harass people in the community. They have also been accused of breaking into the homes of prominent individuals in the community, stealing their properties, raping female members of their families, and kidnapping others who are later forced to pay huge sums of money as ransom.
One prominent man in the area, who claims to be a pastor, was also said to be controlling his own gang that has been indulging in criminal acts in Eziowelle for a long time with the support of some leaders of the community. These leaders claimed to have contacts with security agencies in both Anambra state and Abuja that would protect them.
The gang has made the town so unsafe that many indigenes, both in Nigeria and abroad, have had to flee their homes for fear of being kidnapped and forced to pay ransom under the guise of being a vigilante group. Some of their victims have not only been abducted at midnight but taken to offices of some security agencies where they were tortured, harassed, and intimidated into parting with huge sums of money to buy their freedom.
Upon receiving the report of their criminal activities, Commissioner Echeng Echeng swiftly directed the Commander of the Anti-cult Unit in the state, CSP Uche Noah, to round up all the criminals involved in the nefarious acts. CSP Uche and his team stormed the town in an operation described as ‘unprecedented in execution’ and rounded up the suspects, despite their stiff resistance and hot exchange of firepower that lasted for hours.
The police team succeeded in routing them and arrested six of their kingpins while others escaped with serious bullet wounds. Police sources stated that operations would continue until they are completely flushed out, and their financiers rounded up to make Eziowelle a peaceful town.p
CP Echeng Echeng gave stern directives to the police team to arrest all those involved in turning Eziowelle into a hot zone, no matter how highly or lowly placed and charge them to court without delay. Decoy teams have penetrated the town and its environs, and more arrests will soon be carried out.
Police spokesman in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga when contacted said; “Yes, the operatives raided Eziowellle community and we have six suspects in custody. The operatives recovered three pump action guns, one Barretta pistol, ammunition and other incriminating items. There are so many other operations going on in the state. We urge Anambrains to sustain the tempo by giving us relevant information.”
