Six suspected robbers who have been disguising as a member of a vigilante group in Delta state, have been arrested, the Police Command in the state reports.
According to the statement released on Saturday 17th December 2022, by the Delta State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe, the six suspected robbers were arrested on the 15th December 2022, by Police operatives attached to the Ekpan Police station in the state.
DSP Bright Edafe who shared photos of the six suspected robbers and items recovered from them, in his statement, added that the successful arrest by the group was made possible after Police operatives attached to Ekpan Police station deployed on patrol along Jakpa Road, intercepted a Toyota Sienna space bus, ash in colour without registration number conveying six male occupants.
The Policemen on suspicion subjected them to a search during which three (03) pump action guns, four (04) locally made guns, one (01) long axe, seven (07) expended cartridges, nine (09) live cartridges, native charms, three (03) cutlasses, two (02) number plates were recovered.
The suspects, Aaron Okorigwe ‘m’ aged 27yrs and five others who could not give a reasonable account of themselves, were taken into custody.
An investigation later revealed that they were hoodlums who operate under the guise of being members of a hunters group from Ovwian Aladja, but sneaks into Ekpan Community in a Sienna vehicle, robbed and kidnap the unsuspecting, after robbing them, they run to hibernate in Ovwian Aladja.
Following these findings, on 16/12/2022, the DPO invited three victims (names withheld), all of whom were at various times victims of armed robberies, and kidnappings in the area, and placed the suspects on an identification parade, the victims identified the suspects as the syndicate that robbed and kidnapped them. An investigation is ongoing.