POLICE RECORD MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS IN IMO, ARREST 75 SUSPECTS IN ONE MONTH
By Anselem Anokwute
The Imo State Police Command has recorded significant operational successes in the fight against crime, arresting no fewer than 75 suspects for various offences within the past one month.
Briefing Journalists in the State Police Command Owerri , CP Audu Garba Bosso, stated that the Command’s activities have paved way for the bountiful harvest, noting that the achievements were made possible through proactive, intelligence-driven operations carried out in collaboration with other security agencies and community stakeholders.
According to him, the suspects were arrested for offences including kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, terrorism linked to IPOB/ESN, murder, and stealing.
He added that the Command also made notable recoveries, including three AK-47 rifles, three magazines, 65 rounds of live ammunition, two locally made pistols, one Beretta pistol, and six stolen motorcycles.
Bosso stated that the sustained operations have led to a drastic reduction in crime across the state, thereby creating a safer environment for residents and visitors.
Highlighting a major breakthrough, the police boss said operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit responded to a distress call on March 3, 2026, reporting an attack on Adapalm in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area by suspected IPOB/ESN members, who set heavy equipment ablaze.
He explained that security operatives engaged the attackers in a gun duel, during which one suspect sustained gunshot injuries and later died in hospital. The corpse, he said, was deposited at the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Owerri (FUTHO) mortuary for autopsy.
The Commissioner further disclosed that on March 14, 2026, the hoodlums resurfaced and were again confronted by operatives on surveillance patrol. The suspects were overpowered and fled with gunshot injuries, abandoning three AK-47 rifles and magazines loaded with 65 rounds of ammunition.
In a related development, Bosso revealed that a joint counter-terrorism operation involving the Police, military, and other security agencies successfully dislodged an IPOB/ESN camp known as “Mother Valley” in Orsu Local Government Area.
He said two suspected terrorists were neutralized during the operation, while over 300 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), including gas cylinders and galvanized pipes, as well as five exotic vehicles, were recovered.
The Commissioner urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with credible information, assuring that such information would be treated with utmost confidentiality.
He also assured that adequate security arrangements had been put in place to ensure a peaceful Eid-el-Fitr celebration across the state, with maximum deployment of personnel to worship centres and recreational facilities.
Bosso further advised motorists and travellers to obey traffic regulations to ensure a safe and hitch-free festive period.
