Operatives of the Ebonyi State Police Command have intercepted 753 live ammunitions of General-Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) concealed in a sac being transported in a commercial vehicle from Abakaliki, Ebonyi State to Umuahia in Abia State.
In a press statement by CP Frank Mba, Force Public Relations Officer, the interception was as a result of an intelligence-driven covert operation.
“Similarly, following investigations into the foiled bank robbery on the Onueke branch of a commercial bank in Ebonyi State which occurred on Tuesday, 27th April, 2021;
“Police operatives led by the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Command, on 29th April, 2021, stormed the criminal hideout of suspects indicted in the investigations located at Oriuzo village in Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
“The suspects on sighting the Police squad, opened fire on them. The Police team engaged them gallantly and professionally.
“At the end, three (3) members of the gang including two (2) male and one (1) female met their waterloo following bullet injuries sustained during the exchange of gunfire. Other suspects fled in different directions.”
He disclosed that two AK47 riffles, Five pump action guns, six pistols, fifty AK47 ammunition, one hundred and twenty-six cartridges, cutlasses, jack knives and a note book containing inventories of ammunition purchased by the gang were recovered including a Honda pilot Jeep.
He further revealed that the team of police officers also traced other members of the gang to a shrine where they go for mystical powers before embarking on their robbery operations.
Two suspects were eventually arrested during the raid, which led to the arrest of additional three members of the gang.
He added that efforts have been initiated to arrest other fleeing members of the gang and their spiritual godfather – the chief priest of the shrine.
He echoed, that the Inspector General of Police, Ag. IGP Usman Alkali Baba has commended the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Police Command, CP Aliyu Garba and officers of the command, for excellently utilizing intelligence to nip the crimes in the bud.
The IG also reassured citizens of the renewed commitment of the Force to improve public safety and combat all forms of crimes across the land.
