The police command in Enugu says it arrested 17 criminal suspects for offences ranging from conspiracy, murder, armed robbery, truck snatching, and abduction to unlawful possession of firearms.

Police spokesman Daniel Ndukwe said in a statement on Tuesday in Enugu that the arrests and seizure of items were made within a month from November 1 to 27.

The statement said the command seized two firearms, one live cartridge, three mock guns, a Sino truck loaded with 789 bags of cement, mobile phones, ATM cards, pieces of wrappers, clothes and other incriminating exhibits.

He noted that the high point of the arrests included a native doctor that allegedly shot and murdered his client while testing the gunshot protection charm he had prepared for him.

According to him, on November 16 at about 11:00 p.m., police operatives serving in Isi-Uzo Police Division arrested Emmanuel Odoh (male and a native doctor), aged 23, of Umuaram Village in Ikem community of Isi-Uzo local government area.

“Odoh was arrested for shooting and murdering his adult male client, one Onunze Benedict, of the Eha-Amufu community in the same LGA,” said the police. “Preliminary investigation reveals that the suspect confessed to having used a locally-fabricated single-barreled gun to shoot and murder the victim in his shrine at the location while testing the gunshot protection charm he had prepared for him.”

The police statement added, “The gun has been recovered, while further investigation is ongoing at the homicide section of the state CID Enugu.”

It stated that police operatives serving in the 9th Mile Police Division on November 24 at about 3:20 p.m. arrested six male suspects in a building along Nsukka/Makurdi Highway, 9th Mile in the Udi council area.

“Ongoing investigation into the case at the Anti-Robbery Section of the State CID had revealed that the criminal gang that is linked to a similar case earlier reported were perfecting plans to commit felonious crimes before they were apprehended,” added the statement.

(NAN)