699 Criminal Suspects Arrested in Ebonyi — Police
Residents of Ebonyi State may have to be more cautious as the Police Command says it has arrested 699 criminal suspects linked to 372 cases across the state in the past six months.
The suspects were arrested in connection with various crimes, including kidnapping, with the police also recovering firearms, ammunition, vehicles and other items allegedly connected to criminal activities.
Briefing journalists at the Command Headquarters in Abakaliki, the state capital, the Commissioner of Police, Mrs Hope Okafor, said 309 of the 699 suspects had been charged to court, while investigations were continuing into the remaining cases.
She stated that the Command recovered 31 assorted firearms, 33 rounds of ammunition, three vehicles, charms and other items from suspects during its operations.
Mrs Okafor said one of the major breakthroughs came in July when police operatives, acting on credible intelligence, raided a suspected criminal hideout at Onuebonyi-Eziagu in Ishielu Local Government Area.
The operation led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, an empty magazine and a Beretta pistol.
She described the recovery as a significant boost to the Command’s efforts to remove illegal firearms from circulation and prevent them from being used to commit violent crimes.
Police Warn Against Fake Kidnappings
The Commissioner also raised concern over cases where individuals allegedly stage their own kidnappings and demand money from unsuspecting family members.
She described such acts as a serious criminal offence and warned residents against engaging in them.
2027 Elections: Police Promise Tight Security
With political activities expected to intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, the police boss said the Command was prepared to maintain peace and order across the state.
She urged politicians and their supporters to play by the rules and avoid actions capable of threatening the peace of the state.
Mrs Okafor assured residents that the Command would continue to develop strategies to confront emerging security threats, while appealing to members of the public to support the police with useful information.
