The Imo State Police Command has disclosed that one Emmanuel Nnaji, 15, led policemen to a hotel where attacks on police formations in the state were planned.
Commissioner of Police in the state, Abutu Yaro made the disclosure in a statement in Owerri while parading more than 20 suspects said to be members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
He said that the suspects were arrested in the hotel located in Orlu.
According to Yaro, attacks on Omuma, Oru East Local Government Area and Njaba Police Station were planned from the hotel.
The police boss said items recovered from the suspects include Army camouflage uniforms, arms, and ammunition.
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“Sequel to the recent attack on Omuma Police station and Njaba Police Station respectively, where the bandits were swiftly repelled by the ever-alert tactical teams of Imo State Police Command and the unfortunate loss of a Divisional Police Officer and the arrest of one of the bandits Emmanuel Nnaji ‘M’ age 15 years, a native of Awala in Ideato South LGA of Imo State with bullet wounds and brought to the station.
“On interrogation by the command’s tactical teams, the suspect gave a vivid description of a Hotel located in Orlu as were they, the bandits stayed, planned before they executed their dastardly act on the police stations.
“The owner of the Hotel has been accommodating and assisting them financially. He then volunteered and led security forces to the location of the hotel. On arrival, the hotel and house were cordoned and searched exhibits were recovered from the arrested twenty-six suspects including seven females in the hotel they incudes.
“It is on good record that, it was in the same hotel that the head of a young man was severed and placed on the road close to the hotel premises.
“Presently, the investigation is ongoing and the suspects are undergoing interrogation,” the commissioner said.
The commissioner “recalled that, in the same Orlu, some months ago during the peak of IPOB/ ESN attacks and killing of Police officers including innocent citizens and burning of Police stations in the state.
“That, the command’s tactical teams and special forces, after a diligent gathering of technical intelligence, arrested one Boniface Okeke ‘Male’ age 57 years from Obor Autonomous Community in Orlu LGA of Imo State in connection with terrorism and attacks on security agencies and private individuals where several Police stations were burnt down and police officers killed in numbers.”
The statement further read: “On interrogation, he confessed of being a facilitator and financer of IPOB/ ESN Operation in the state to the tune of ten million Naira ( #10,000,000 ) while he was outside the country. He assisted the police in the arrest of some of their members and decimation of their Camps in the state.
“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Abutu Yaro, FDC, while commending the good people of Orlu and Imo State in general, pleaded for calm as security agencies are doing everything humanly possible to sustain the already improved peace in the state.”