The Abia Police Command says it arrested at least 60 persons for alleged crimes, ranging from murder to armed robbery, kidnapping and vandalism of government property.

The Commissioner of Police, Kenechukukwu Onwuemelie, disclosed this on Friday, while briefing journalists on the command’s efforts to checkmate crime and criminality in the state.

Mr Onwuemelie spoke through the command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Maureen Chinaka, at the command’s headquartres in Umuahia on Friday.

He said that the command had achieved a significant milestone in curtailing the aforementioned crimes from October to date.

Giving a breakdown of the suspects, the police chief said that the list included 58 males and two females.

According to him, the command also rescued an abducted child.

He said that it also recovered six locally-made single barrel shotguns, nine locally-made double-barrel shotguns, nine live cartridges and one pump-action gun.

Mt Onwuemelie further said that 10 vehicles, eight tricycles and one bag of substances suspected to be illicit hard drugs, were part of the items recovered from the suspects.

Other items were 12 allegedly stolen MTN batteries and seven Airtel backup batteries, five railway sleepers and vandalised aluminum panels.

The rest included armoured cable, one dry cell motor battery, one motor jack, iron cutter and other assorted tools.

Mr Onwuemelie said that the command remained committed to ensuring the safety and security of law-abiding residents of the state and would continue to work tirelessly to achieve the goal.

Among the suspects was 29-year-old Timothy Ocheche, who allegedly killed his female friend he lodged with at Chrismary Hotel, Aba on October 4.

 (NAN)