Members of a kidnapping and armed robbery gang operating in Ideato and Orlu areas of Imo State have explained how they formed the gang as inmates of the Nigeria Correctional Service in Owerri, the state capital.
Chinedu Ehirim(aka Last Doctor), 35, is from Ikpa Okpara in Umuobom Autonomous Community in Ideato South Council Area and Christian Uba, 39, hails from Amaifeke in Orlu council area of the state.
They were held by men of the Imo State Police command for conspiracy, armed robbery and unlawful possession of firearms.
According to the police, the two men had attacked and robbed two hunters– Mr. Louis Obiagwu and Mr. Marcel Nwokike in their houses in Umuobom and carting away their valuables.
Speaking when they were paraded before newsmen, Christian Uba said they met in Owerri prison while serving jail terms.
“I met ‘Last Doctor,’ in prison in Owerri and noticed that we were going to be released soon. We decided that when we come out, we will form a stronger gang than the ones we belonged to in the past before we went to jail.
“So, when we were released, we decided to source for guns to start our own armed robbery and kidnapping gang.
“And since then, we’ve been robbing people in their homes hoping to make up for the lost time in prison. But, we were arrested by SARS after attacking and robbing the two hunters in their homes in Umuobom”, Uba told newsmen.
Items recovered from the gang included one double-barrel gun cut to size; two single barrel guns; three live cartridges; saw blade and machete.
In a similar development, the police have arrested a serial burglar, 28-year-old Obumneme Diokpo of Uzubi Obodoukwu in Ideato North Local Government Area of the state, who specialized in burgling people’s houses.
Obumneme, who told the police that he just returned from the Okigwe prison, having been jailed for breaking into people’s houses and robbing them of their valuables, was arrested by the officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), when he broke into the house of one Ikechukwu Ijarakwe in Uzubi Obodoukwu around 2.30am and carted away properties and other valuables in the house.
The police described Obumneme as an unrepentant criminal who has been terrorising the inhabitants of Obodoukwu, Urualla, Akokwa all in Ideato North LGA, saying after gaining access to his victims’ houses through the fence, he used heavy iron cutter to cut the window burglary proof and rob them.
The state commissioner of police, Rabiu Ladodo, said the suspects would be charged to court at the completion of police investigation.