The police command in Enugu has arrested seven suspects, including a former political ward councillor, for criminal activities within the Enugu metropolis.

The police recovered six firearms, 16 live cartridges, and a snatched motor vehicle from the suspects.

The police disclosed this in a statement issued by the command’s Spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, on Thursday in Enugu.

The police said a brief description of the arrests and recoveries showed that police operatives serving in the Abakpa Police Division, in synergy with the Neighbourhood Watch Group, on December 6 at about 9:30 p.m., arrested Ndubuisi Oboro, 27.

“The suspect and cohorts, who escaped, had attacked their male victim, dispossessed him of his phones and snatched his Toyota Camry car in the process. But (they) were on the verge of escaping when police operatives swooped on them, arrested the suspect, and recovered one locally-made double-barreled pistol and the vehicle,” the statement explained.

The command added that in another development, police operatives of the Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad in November 2023, arrested Kosisochukwu Ochiora, 25; Agbo Daniel, 25; Henry Ogbonna, 42; Ani Samuel, 17, and Okolo Ndukanachi, 24.

“The suspects were arrested for their involvement in a case of conspiracy, unlawful possession of firearms, and cultism. Their arrest led to the recovery of four firearms, comprising two-locally made double-barreled and one locally-made revolver pistol, one cut-to-size single-barreled gun, and 16 live cartridges,” he said.

The police spokesman said that the investigation had proved that the suspects confessed to being members of the Vikings Confraternity, while one of them, Henry Ogbonna, was found to be the former councillor of Ikiriki Ward 6 in Enugu South local government legislative council.

The police said Mr Ogbonna was also acclaimed as a senior special assistant on works to the council chairman and is a member and sponsor of the secret cult group activities.

“It further revealed that the suspects, in the month of November 2023, perfected plans to avenge the attack on one of their cult group members by a notorious member of a rival cult group, Apache Tiger (also known as Two-two). This is before police operatives swung into action and arrested them,” stated the police.

The statement noted that similarly, on November 24 at about 8:30 p.m., police operatives of the squad arrested a male suspect, Ani Chidera, 28, for his involvement in a case of burglary.

“A painstaking investigation led to the recovery of one locally made pistol from the suspect, who also confessed to being a member of Viking Confraternity. The suspect has been arraigned in court and remanded in prison. The unprosecuted cases shall be charged to court, and the suspects prosecuted once ongoing investigations are concluded,” said the police command.

(NAN)