Police arrest ex-councillor, four others for alleged robbery

The police disclosed more arrests made by operatives in various parts of the state.

The police in Enugu State have arrested a former councillor in Enugu South Local Government Area of the state over various alleged offences including cultism and unlawful possession of firearms.

The suspect, Henry Agbo, who represented Ikiriki Ward Six at the local legislative chamber of the council area, was arrested by police operatives from the anti-cultism squad in November alongside four others who also allegedly committed the offences.

The police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday night.

Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, identified the four other suspects as Kosisochukwu Ochiora, 25, Daniel Agbo, 25, Samuel Ani, 17 and Ndukanachi Okolo, 24 – all males

“Investigations have proved that the suspects confessed to being members of the Vikings Confraternity,” he said.

The police spokesperson alleged that Mr Agbo, the 42-year-old former lawmaker, is a member and sponsor of the cult group.

The former lawmaker is also “an acclaimed senior special assistant on works” to the chairperson of Enugu South Local Government Area, he said.

Mr Nduwkwe said police investigations further revealed that the suspects had, earlier in November, perfected plans to avenge an attack on one of their cult group members by a notorious member of a rival cult group, Apache Tiger, before police operatives arrested them.

Four firearms and 16 live cartridges were recovered from the suspects, according to the police.

The firearms comprised two locally-made double-barreled pistols, one locally-made revolver pistol and one cut-to-size-single-barreled gun.

More arrest

Mr Ndukwe said police operatives attached to Abakpa Nike Police Division, in collaboration with the Neighbourhood Watch Group, on 6 December, arrested a suspected armed robber in the state.

The arrested suspect, Ugochukwu Eze, 27, was said to have attacked and snatched a Toyota Camry car from his victim.

Mr Eze, who allegedly carried out the attack with his cohorts, now at large, was also said to have dispossessed the unnamed victim of his phone during the operation.

“But (the suspects) were on the verge of escaping when the operatives swooped on them, arrested the suspect, and recovered one locally made double-barreled pistol and the vehicle,” he said.

Arrest and remand

Mr Ndukwe said operatives from the anti-cultism squad, on 24 November, arrested another suspected cultist, Chidera Ani, for his alleged involvement in a case of burglary.

The police spokesperson said Mr Ani, 28, has confessed to being a member of the Viking Confraternity otherwise known as Two-two.

He said the suspect has been arraigned in court and remanded in a correctional facility in the state.

“The unprosecuted of the cases shall be charged to court and the suspects prosecuted once ongoing investigations are concluded,” he said.

The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Kanayo Uzuegbu, has reaffirmed the commitment of the police to continuously clamp down on criminals in the state, Mr Ndukwe said.