The Enugu State Police Command has successfully dismantled an interstate criminal syndicate involved in armed robbery and financial fraud. This achievement followed coordinated operations by the Emene Division, Crack and Octopus Tactical Squads, and the Neighbourhood Watch Group, resulting in the arrest of eight male suspects and the recovery of firearms, ammunition, cash, and other stolen items.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday by DSP Daniel Ndukwe, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Enugu State Command.

The suspects apprehended include Ismaila Isah (23), Sadik Ahmed (a dismissed soldier, 28), Abbas Usman (33), Mubarak Garba (24), Abubakar Haruna (23), Abubakar Sani (32), Obiri Chukwuebuka (22), and Bright Omeniru (22).

Recovered items included two locally made pistols with live and expended cartridges, ₦300,450 in cash, ten laptops, ten mobile phones, land documents, assorted jewelry and watches, an MP3 player, headphones, four power banks, two SIM cards, footwear, and bags.

The operation began on November 12, 2024, around 3:30 a.m., when police operatives from the Emene Division and Neighbourhood Watch responded to a distress call about an armed robbery at an estate in Emene. During the intervention, Ismaila Isah was arrested at the scene with a pistol, stolen cash, and other items, while his accomplices fled.

Isah’s confessions and further investigations by the Crack Tactical Squad led to the capture of five more suspects, including Sadik Ahmed, a dismissed soldier who admitted exploiting his background to bypass security checkpoints while transporting stolen goods.

The intelligence efforts by the Octopus Tactical Squad led to the arrest of Obiri Chukwuebuka and Bright Omeniru in Owerri, Imo State. The duo confessed to using stolen mobile phones to fraudulently withdraw funds from victims’ bank accounts, with SIM cards also recovered from them.

According to the PPRO, the suspects admitted to committing multiple armed robberies within the Enugu metropolis and selling stolen items across state lines, including in Imo State. They will face prosecution upon the conclusion of investigations.