The Imo State Police Command has announced the arrest of 184 suspected criminals during a series of coordinated security operations across the state, leading to the rescue of three kidnapped victims and the recovery of firearms, ammunition, human skulls, and other suspected criminal items.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Audu Garba Bosso, disclosed the development while briefing journalists at the Command Headquarters in Owerri.
He said the arrests were made through intelligence-driven operations targeting offences such as kidnapping, terrorism, armed robbery, cultism, murder, rape, defilement, sexual assault, and other violent crimes.
According to the police, recovered weapons include two AK-47 rifles, several rifle magazines, locally made firearms, pistols, and hundreds of rounds of live ammunition. Officers also uncovered two human skulls and objects believed to be used for ritual purposes during the operations.
Bosso explained that information provided by rescued kidnapping victims in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area led security operatives to a suspected kidnappers’ hideout in the Egbema creek area of Rivers State. The operation resulted in the arrest of seven suspects and the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, magazines, ammunition, and locally made guns.
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Investigations further linked the gang to the killing of two personnel of the Imo State Homeland Security during an attempted kidnapping in Owerri West Local Government Area on May 16, 2026. Police said efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate.
In another operation carried out on July 7, 2026, officers acting on credible intelligence raided the Obiakpu swamps in Ohaji/Egbema, where they recovered an additional cache of 346 rounds of live ammunition.
The police also arrested 58-year-old Nduka Iheme over the alleged sexual abuse of two minors. Authorities said he was taken into custody on June 24, 2026, after complaints from the victims’ parents, who alleged that he lured the children to his residence with the promise of offering them jobs before assaulting them.
In a separate case, detectives arrested 19-year-old Chijoke Johnson over the alleged defilement of an eight-year-old girl. Police said the incident occurred when the child visited the suspect’s residence to fetch water, during which he allegedly forced her inside his home and assaulted her.
The Commissioner of Police reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to tackling crime across Imo State, assuring residents that security agencies would continue pursuing criminal groups and dismantling their networks.
He also urged members of the public to support law enforcement by providing credible information that could aid ongoing investigations.
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