The Imo State Police Command announced on Thursday that it had arrested 32‑year‑old armed‑robbery suspect Chukwudi Oguzie, a member of a gang that has been on the state’s wanted list. The arrest occurred while command operatives were conducting a stop‑and‑search operation.
According to a statement from the command’s spokesperson, Henry Okoye, the suspect was seized during a surveillance patrol along the Owerri‑Port Harcourt Road at about 12:30 p.m. on 12 April 2023. He was found in possession of three locally made revolver pistols, 15 live cartridges, various prohibited hard drugs, and other items reportedly stolen during robberies.
The operation was described as a “dexterous and curious” intelligence‑led stop‑and‑search of a commercial bus that the team intercepted. Preliminary investigations revealed that Oguzie is the leader of a notorious armed‑robbery syndicate that has been responsible for numerous crimes in the state. He confessed to several of the gang’s offenses.
Police are now intensifying efforts to locate other suspects and to identify the local manufacturer of the firearms. The suspects will be arraigned in court after a thorough investigation.
State Commissioner of Police Mohammed Barde praised the operatives for their proactiveness and urged them to dominate the security space, continuing to confiscate illicit firearms from criminal elements in the state.
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