Police bust child-stealing, vehicle theft syndicate in Anambra

By Obinna Unaeze

The Police Command in Anambra says it has detained three suspects over their alleged involvement in the stealing of an articulated vehicle and abduction of three children in the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state,  Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Awka.
Ikenga said that the suspects were arrested in separate operations by the Police Divisions in Achalla, Okpoko and Ihiala in the state.

“The police operatives attached to the Achalla, Okpoko, and Ihiala have recorded the arrest of three suspects involved in vehicle snatching and diversion and child-stealing syndicate, and recovered stolen items and vehicles in separate operations,” he said.
Ikenga said that at 2.38pm on Sept. 23, a joint team of police operatives from Achalla Division and members of the Special Vigilante Taskforce of Achalla arrested two male suspects.

He identified the suspects as Chinwendu Ndieli and Uchenna Offodile.

The police spokesman explained that the joint security team acted upon the report of a Mack Truck with Registration Number: T 5003 LA, conveying an empty container suspected to have been stolen and parked near St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Achalla.

According to him, upon interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime and revealed how the truck was stolen from a company in Lagos.

He said that the owner of the truck had been contacted to come with the necessary document to claim the vehicle.
Ikenga also said that on the evening of the same day, Police Operatives from Okpoko Division received credible information about an abandoned vehicle along Onitsha–Owerri Road, opposite Tiger Fruit Company.

“Acting on the information, the Division Patrol Team, led by the Division Police Officer (DPO) moved to the scene and discovered a white Toyota Camry Spider with Registration Number: AWK 91 SR.

“During search, an additional plate number: 06A 90 DT was recovered inside the vehicle,” he said.

He said that the car had since been recovered to the station for safekeeping, identification and possible collection by the rightful owner.

The police spokesman further said that on the same evening of Sept. 23, through the assistance of the youth of Akwa Village, Ihiala arrested one male suspect, Charles Onuigbo, over an alleged case of abduction of three children between the ages of six, three and two.

He said that preliminary information revealed that Onuigbo and two others who are currently at large conspired and abducted the three children.

“Further revelations from the mother of the victims stated that while her children were eating in front of their house, she went into the kitchen to get them more food but returned to find them missing,” he said.

The PPRO said that the arrested suspect was a neighbour of the affected family who had been harbouring the two fleeing suspects.
According to him, in view of the above, Onuigbo was attacked and beaten by irate members of the community, sustaining injuries before being rescued by the police.

He said that the case is under investigation, while efforts are on to apprehend the fleeing suspects and rescue the missing children.

(NAN)