The police in Enugu State have, in the last one week, arrested four suspects for various criminal offence ranging from armed robbery, unlawful possession of firearms, stealing and cultism.

In a statement on Friday, the state police spokesman Daniel Ndukwe said that police operatives recovered three firearms with nine live cartridges and some stolen items from the suspects.

Mr Ndukwe said that on March 29 at about 2:30 p.m., police operatives on routine patrol duty in the Nsude-Udi area of Old Enugu-Awka Road intercepted and arrested a man, Chinobi Nwalam, 25, in a Toyota Hiace commuter bus.

According to him, police operatives recovered one locally-made double-barrel pistol with two live cartridges from the suspect.

“The suspect, who was handed over to 9th Mile Police Division for further investigation, confessed to being a member of an armed robbery gang and led police operatives attached to the division to their criminal hideout in Udi Town.

“On sighting the police operatives, the criminal suspects engaged them in a gun duel, which resulted in one of the suspects sustaining gunshot injuries and later confirmed dead in the hospital, while the others escaped.

“One locally-made cut-to-size gun with seven live cartridges and three different makes of mobile phones were further recovered at the criminal hideout,” he said.

The police spokesman said that the police operatives on March 25 also arrested Nwachukwu Emeka, 32, for allegedly being a member of the Vikings Confraternity cult group and a deadly criminal gang operating within Nsukka and its environs.

“Preliminary investigation shows that the suspect confessed to being a member of the said cult group and criminal gang, while one locally-made cut-to-size gun was recovered from him,” he said.

In a related development, Mr Ndukwe said that the police operatives attached to Isi-Uzo Police Division on March 23 at about 3:00 p.m., arrested Kingsley Odo, 18 and Dabere Ezeoba, 19, both of Neke-Uno in Isi-Uzo council area.

“The duo was alleged to have burgled some traders’ shops at Neke on March 22 and stole N8, 000 and different household items and electrical cables. They both confessed to the crime,” he said.

The police spokesman said that all the suspects would be charged to court on the conclusion of their respective investigation.

“While commending the efforts of the operatives, the commissioner of police charged them to sustain the tempo; even as he also reaffirmed the command’s commitment to rid the state of unrepentant criminal elements,” he added.

(NAN)