Police nab suspected IPOB leader and notorious kidnapper in Imo
In a recent operation, the Imo State Police Command successfully apprehended a suspected commander of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), along with three accomplices, at a hideout within the state.
The arrest was made last Saturday, December 16, and was disclosed by the Police Public Relations Officer, Okoye Henry, in a statement issued on Wednesday.
The arrested IPOB suspect was identified as Ikechukwu Uba, hailing from Emoha Mgbidi in Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State.
According to Henry, the operation was conducted by the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad, led by Chief Superintendent of Police Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa.
During the interrogation, Uba confessed to being a member of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) terrorist group, commanding the Mgbidi axis. He admitted to orchestrating attacks on Omuma Police Station and soldiers at Mgbidi and Awo-Mmama.
Uba further revealed that he received funding from Simon Ekpa, based in Finland, to carry out terrorist activities in the state.
The statement read, “The suspects provided useful information to the determined operatives that led to the arrest of one of their alleged sponsors, HRH EZE Anozie Augustine Agbarambo, the Traditional Ruler of Isi Mgbidi, Emoha Mgbidi autonomous community.
Two locally made revolver long guns, one double barrel long gun, and 33 rounds of live cartridges were recovered from his house during an intense search. Investigation is in progress, and the suspects will be arraigned in court upon completion of a diligent investigation.”
Additionally, the police operatives arrested Sylvester Humble, a suspected kidnapper from the Umuoma Nekede area of the state. Humble was found in possession of a locally made pistol.
He admitted to being a member of a notorious kidnapping syndicate terrorizing the residents of Nekekde and Ihiagwa in Imo State.
Humble volunteered valuable information that will aid the police in apprehending his cohorts, and he will be arraigned upon completion of a comprehensive investigation.
Commending the operatives for their efforts, Commissioner of Police Aboki Danjuma urged them to sustain the fight against all forms of crime and criminality in the state.
He assured Imo residents that the Command has implemented enhanced proactive security strategies to ensure thorough policing throughout the yuletide season and beyond.