Ten members of a daring armed robbery gang that is believed to have stolen around N390 million from a bullion van in July have been detained by police officers in Abia.
Janet Agbede, the state’s commissioner of police, said the suspects were experts in bullion van robberies across the nation as she led the press through the suspects’ parade at the command headquarters in Umuahia on Monday.
She claimed that the command’s special team apprehended them at various times and places in Abia, Delta, Lagos, Ondo, Rivers, and Imo.
According to the CP, the squad was formed in the wake of the incident that took place on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.
Agbede said: “I carefully studied their modus operandi and set up a special intelligence, technologically-led investigation squad, with a clear directive to arrest and recover weapons used by the deadly armed gang.
“Consequently, the squad systematically commenced operation, applying speed and accuracy.”
“The effort of the squad led to the arrest of the suspects at different locations and days.
“They confessed to the crime in their individual voluntary statements.”
“The suspects confessed to have robbed bullion vans in Ajah in Lagos, Akure Road in Ondo State, Asaba and Mbaise in Imo.
“The criminals claimed that the Abia attack was executed after two months of surveillance on the bullion van.”
She said two of the suspects – Adesoji Adeniyi, aka “Soji”, and Albert Nwachukwu, aka “White,” were arrested in Lagos State.
Felix Ajalaja, Moshood Opeyemi, and Azubuike Amaefule were arrested in Rivers.
The trio of Nnamdi Nwaosu, Monday Samuel, and Matthew Christmas were picked up in Imo, Ondo, and Delta States, respectively.
Other suspects were two brothers from Abia, Chikwendu and Prosper Israel, who were arrested in the state.
