By Izunna Okafor, Awka
No fewer than two suspected thieves have been arrested by the operatives of the Enugu State Police Command in separate operations within Nkanu West Local Government Area and New Haven, Enugu, leading to the recovery of a stolen tricycle (Keke Napep), motorcycle and other items allegedly linked to criminal activities.
The Command also recovered two bags containing 112 new wrappers and 29 female handbags, as well as a Point-of-Sale (POS) machine and a heavy-duty cable cutter abandoned by suspected thieves who fled from police operatives in New Haven.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Enugu State Police Command, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the arrests and recoveries were recorded during separate operations by operatives of the Nkanu West and New Haven Divisions.
According to SP Ndukwe, operatives of Nkanu West Division, working with Forest Guards, arrested a 24-year-old suspect, Nnamani Chekube Eze, at about 5pm on September 9 at Akpugo.
The suspect, he said, was allegedly found with an unregistered Sanya motorcycle which had reportedly been stolen from a man at Obuno-Akpugo in Nkanu West. The police spokesman said Eze had made a confessional statement and was assisting detectives with the ongoing investigation.
In another operation, operatives of New Haven Division arrested a man identified as Godwin Emmanuel at about 7pm on August 30 during a patrol around New Artisan Market.
The PPRO said Emmanuel was apprehended at an uncompleted building near WAEC Bus Stop, Independence Layout, where he was allegedly found with a tricycle reported stolen earlier that day from a church in the area.
The suspect also reportedly confessed to the theft of a Sumo pumping machine at Maryland, Enugu, according to the PPRO.
He and the recovered tricycle were subsequently transferred to Independence Layout Police Division, after which he was arraigned and remanded in correctional custody by the court.
Meanwhile, residents’ vigilance also aided another police operation in the New Haven area on September 3.
According to SP Ndukwe, residents alerted the police at about 6.10am after noticing suspected thieves moving from Ugbo-Okonkwo towards the Powerline area.
He said the operatives of New Haven Division quickly mobilised to the area, forcing the suspects to abandon two bags and escape.
With assistance from the Neighbourhood Watch, the police spokesman said the abandoned bags were recovered and found to contain 112 new wrappers and 29 female handbags.
The items were subsequently identified by their owners and returned to them, while a POS machine and heavy-duty cable cutter were also recovered during the operation.
The police spokesman said efforts had been intensified to track down the suspects who escaped from the scene. He added that the suspect arrested in connection with the motorcycle theft would be arraigned after the completion of the investigation.
Reacting, the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, commended the police operatives, residents and various community-based security groups for their cooperation and vigilance.
CP Giwa, according to the PPRO, directed the Command to identify, arrest and prosecute the fleeing suspects in accordance with the law.
The Commissioner also reaffirmed the Command’s determination to sustain operations against criminal elements and make the state increasingly difficult for persistent offenders to operate.
