Enugu Police PRO, SP Daniel Ndukwe
In a bold show of force against crime and criminality, the Enugu State Police Command has recorded a series of major breakthroughs in its ongoing crackdown on robbery and car theft syndicates operating within and beyond the state.
According to a statement released on Saturday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, the Police arrested eight suspects and recovered eight stolen or snatched vehicles, alongside other exhibits, during coordinated tactical operations carried out in August.
“These successes, which include the arrest of robbery suspects and the recovery of vehicles and other criminal tools, demonstrate the Command’s unwavering commitment to ridding the State of criminal elements,” the statement read.
The series of operations began yielding results as early as August 8, when the Command’s Crack Tactical Squad arrested three male suspects; Nwafor Chinenye (35), Chidera Ezeoha (32), and Ekete Joseph (41) in connection with an armed robbery at Amokpu-Nike, Enugu East Local Government Area.
A motorcycle and a Samsung Galaxy S8 phone, reportedly snatched from victims on August 7, were recovered.
The suspects were caught attempting to sell the stolen items at Ogbeke-Nike. They have already been arraigned and remanded.
Four days later, on August 12, the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad struck again. Acting on intelligence from the Enugu State Command-and-Control Centre, operatives arrested Chigozie Ebisike (42) in Ogui, Enugu, and recovered a blue Toyota Corolla linked to a vehicle snatching incident on Rangers Avenue.
Further investigations led to the recovery of two more vehicles, a gold Toyota Sienna and a black Lexus RX 350, along with an array of fake vehicle registration papers, keys, and number plates. Ebisike confessed to being a career car thief.
On August 19, officers attached to the Ozalla Division intercepted a criminal gang operating along the Udi/Ozalla Road.
Somadina Udeh (26) was arrested while his accomplices fled.
In their wake, the police recovered two Toyota Hiace buses, one bearing Delta State plates (ASB 108 YF) and the other Ebonyi State registration (AKL 163 YU).
Udeh confessed to being part of a burglary gang that routinely targeted Enugu shops and ferried stolen goods to Anambra State for resale.
The most recent arrest came on August 21, when the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team apprehended Eze Obinna (44), Jideofor Igwumba (35), and Martina Okwor Ada (49) in connection with a Toyota Kluger (Highlander SUV) stolen on July 21 in Trans-Ekulu.
The SUV had been rebranded and was on the verge of being sold in Awka, Anambra State.
Enugu Police Commissioner, Mamman Bitrus Giwa commended the swift action and diligence of all operatives involved, describing the arrests and recoveries as evidence of the Command’s heightened vigilance and operational effectiveness.
“These arrests are a direct result of our commitment to proactive policing, strong intelligence gathering, and swift action,” he said.
“We will continue to hunt down criminal syndicates and ensure that Enugu remains unsafe for anyone involved in crime.”
He urged residents to remain vigilant and continue partnering with the police by reporting any suspicious activity or individuals in their communities.
While eight suspects are in custody, the Command revealed that several accomplices are still at large, and efforts are ongoing to track them down and recover additional stolen items.
The command pledged that investigations will be thorough and all arrested suspects will face justice.
