Yusuf Bello| The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu on Sunday condemned the murder of security operatives and attacks on facilities in some states of the federation.
Adamu who made the disclosure in a statement issued by police spokesman, Frank Mba, said no murder will go unpunished.
“No murderer will go unpunished,” the IGP said while enjoining parents/guardians as well as traditional/opinion leaders to weigh in and prevail on their children/wards to desist from towing the destructive paths of crime, the statement read.
The IGP’s statement further, “reiterated that the Force will not tolerate any further attack on its personnel or any citizen by any individual or group under any guise whatsoever.”
According to him, “Law Enforcement Agents have gathered sufficient intelligence on the attackers and are closing up on scores of suspects already implicated in the attacks either directly or indirectly for financing, aiding and abetting the criminals.”
In recent times, 16 suspects have been arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force for complicity in a series of violent and unprovoked attacks, particularly in the southeastern part of the country.
The arrest, the police spokesman noted, followed painstaking, deliberate, and tireless efforts by operatives of the Force working in collaboration with their counterparts from the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Airforce.
“The suspects – Ugochukwu Samuel a.k.a Biggy, a 28-year-old native of Arochukwu LGA in Abia State; Raphael Idang, 31-year-old native of Odukpani LGA of Cross River state; Cletus Nwachukwu Egole aka ‘Alewa’, 60-years-old native of Orlu in Imo State; Michael Uba, 33yrs from Imo State; and twelve (12) others in the course of investigation, were implicated in multiple felonies committed across several states in the South-Eastern part of the Federation,” the statement read.
“A total of nine (9) AK47 rifles, five (5) other sophisticated firearms, seventeen (17) AK47 Magazines, 549 AK47 live ammunition, 10 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), camouflage bullet proof vests, walkie talkies, and other incriminating items were recovered from the suspects.”
Mba said the arrest is “aimed at bringing to justice persons responsible for the emerging trend of attacks on security personnel and wanton destruction of security facilities and operational assets.”
The police said Samuel and Idang were among two groups that killed three police officers during separate attacks in December and January.
“Both suspects confessed to being active members of IPOB and ESN,” it added.
Also arrested were Cletus Egole identified as a pastor with the Holy Blessed Trinity Sabbath Church in Imo state as well as Michael Uba, a prophet with the Association of Jewish Faith.
They were identified as being among the masterminds of the various attacks on security personnel “in addition to providing spiritual cover for the gang.”
They were said to have been implicated in multiple felonies committed across several states in the South-Eastern region.
The police authorities also assured that the suspects will be charged to court on the conclusion of investigations.
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