By John Ugo
Operatives of the Tactical Team of the Imo State Police command have neutralized one suspect and injured two others in connection with the abduction and gruesome murder of a retired Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr. Christian Kpatuma in Mgbala, Oguta Local Government Area of the state.
One Deberechi Chukwu, an escapee from the Imo Correctional Centre, Owerri, Imo state capital had earlier been nabbed by the police in connection with the murder while trying to escape to a border state.
However the command said that its tactical team working in collaboration with the Agwa Community Vigilante had sustained manhunt for the fleeing suspects.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, CSP Micheal Abattam, in a statement on Tuesday that the team stormed the hoodlums hideout in the bush, in kpokpokiri village in Agwa Community.
He said the hoodlums, on sighting the police operatives opened fire on them, which resulted in exchange of fire and the killing of one of them.
“Due to the superior fire-power of the Police, one of the hoodlums was neutralised while, two others, namely Ifeanyi Atta, aged 20 years and Osundu Azuakolam aged 24 years were arrested while others escaped with bullets wounds.”
“On searching their hideout, two locally made short guns with four live cartridges and six expended ones were recovered.” He said
He said that suspects confessed to the crime during interrogation and mentioned one Ikemefuna Fredrick as their operational commander.
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They also volunteered to assist the police in the arrest of other members of their gang that escaped.
The Commissioner of Police, Imo Command, CP Rabiu Hussaini, while commending the officers and men for their doggedness, urged them to sustain the tempo.
He further enjoined the community and vigilante groups not to relent in the synergy with the police until the remaining suspects are arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.