Weapons recovered by the police
Police in Ebonyi, Tuesday, paraded one Ivi Chukwu Chinecherem, age 20yrs and Ogbonna Justice, age 19 yrs for trafficking five Ebonyi female teenagers to Ghana for prostitution.
The suspects and the victims are from Akaeze community in Ivo local government area of Ebonyi State.
Parading the suspects, the commissioner of Police in the state, CP Garba Aliyu, said on August 25, 2021 a case of abduction and child trafficking was reported at Ivo Division against the suspects who allegedly abducted and trafficked the female teenagers to Ghana for prostitution.
The suspects were identified as Ugochi, 17yrs, Ogechi, 17yrs, Ejiwa, 18 yrs and Medina, 16yrs ( surnames withheld)
CP Aliyu said the suspects were arrested by the Police Operatives attached to Anti-Human Trafficking of the Command in their bid to abduct one Faith for the same purpose.
“The suspects admitted to the crime and confessed that they trafficked the children to Ghana as alleged without the consent of the parents.
“The efforts of the Operatives yielded success in rescuing of four among the five victims while effort is on top gear to rescue Ejiwa” he assured.
Speaking with one of the victims, Ogechi, she said the suspects approached her that they want to send her to where she would serve someone who does beer parlour business and get paid.
Ogechi said she told them that she can only go with them if her mother agrees, but they told that her parents would discourage her from going, adding that she had been presented with a good opportunity to make money and help her family.
She narrated: “One of them came to me and said he has work for me, I asked what type of work, he said it was serving someone who does beer parlour business. I told him I would only go if my mother permits. He said I shouldn’t tell my parents that they wouldn’t allow me to go.
“I told him I was not interested, but the next day he came and was pressuring me, after much pressure I accepted.
“It was in Lagos that they told three of us that were taken at the same time that it was Ghana we were going to for the job.
“On getting to Ghana, the woman told us that we were there for prostitution. We told her we couldn’t do that and moreover it wasn’t what they said we were coming to do. The woman said she had everything paid for including our bride price that we have no choice.
“Before long she brought four men and they slept with me, after that I became very sick. I was having pains at my lower abdomen, infact I lost. myself.
“We stayed there for three weeks before the woman started receiving calls from Nigeria and she became very scared. Out of fear she put us in a bus that dropped us in Lagos.
“It was later I heard that my mother got the one that took me to Lagos arrested and he revealed to them were he took us.
“I’m so glad to come back home, and I have healed, I’m getting my body back gradually,” she narrated.
Meanwhile, the Police also paraded suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN) that murdered seven innocent persons in Ebonyi State.
CP Garba said that in the early hours of August 9th 2021, while in forceful enforcement of illegal Sit-At-Home order by the suspects, seven innocent persons who were going their lawful businesses along Ohaozara/Onicha expressway by Anike Village were blocked, and gruesomely murdered and their vehicles set ablaze.
He said on a tip off operatives of the command swung into action and engaged the hoodlums in a gun battle. During the gun duel two of the suspected IPOB members were fatally wounded while others escaped with bullet wounds.
The commissioner said that four of the fleeing suspects were later trailed and arrested.
He said that the suspected IPOB members confessed to being members of the organization who participated in the killing of the seven persons and burning of four vehicles including a truck on the said date.
He said that items recovered from the suspects include, 1 general purpose machine gun, GPMG, 10 rounds of chain bullets and 5 motorcycles.
CP Garba said that frantic effort was ongoing for possible arrest of the other fleeing suspects.
He revealed that 35 suspects were arrested and paraded over different offences including murder, kidnapping, illegal possession of firearms and abduction, among others, while over 24 riffles with over 1000 ammunitions were recovered.
CP Aliyu said; “On 19/08/2021 at 2000hrs, operatives of Operation Restore Peace, deployed to Ikwo Division while on routine patrol duties intercepted four suspects namely; Oshinachi Mmaduabuchi, (32); Nwabueze Okeh, (25); Onyebuchi Okere,(31); and Friday Igboji, (30), in front of Ikwo Local Government Area Headquarters.
“The suspects were on motorcycles coming from the Agubia direction and upon searching them, following exhibits were recovered, 1 AK-47 rifle and 1 Live Ammunition.”
“The suspects made useful statements to the Police which led to the recovery of One AK-47 rifle with One Thousand (1,000) live ammunitions.
“On 11th August, 2021, sequel to credible Intelligence at the Commands disposal that a gang of Seven (7) armed robbers were robbing and terrorizing Akahufu Inyimagu Community, in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State and on the strength of the information, the Police operatives attached to Ikwo Division swung into action and with the help of the youths from the area, the said Seven (7) suspects were arrested; Namely; Obinna Uzor, 29 yrs, Nwalobu CHIKAODILI, 24yrs, Nwele Ifeanyi, 23yrs, Nworie Igboji, 23yrs, Nnamdi Imeze, 22yrs, Nwigboji Ogbonna, 22yrs and Omege Lazarus, 30yrs.
“The items recovered from the suspects include; One (1) G3 Rifle with Two (2) Live ammunitions One (1) locally made berretta pistol Six (6) Cutlasses and One (1) short iron rod.
“One of the suspects Obinna Ozor, admitted to the crime, he confessed and stated that his gang had robbed some persons of their valuables including Six (6) live goats, amongst which Four (4) of the goats had been killed and eaten by his cohorts, while the remaining two (2) were recovered by the Police.
“Nworie Igboji and Omege Lazarus have been on the wanted list of Ebonyi State Police Command for a case of murder.
“It would be recalled that on 25th June, 2018 one Mr. Livinus Nwachukwu and Okwudiri Igbe now deceased, were shot dead in a Gulf car along Achara Ikwo road and since then, the suspects have been on the run.
“Investigation is ongoing for possible prosecution of the suspects in earnest.