POLICE ARREST ROBBERY SUSPECTS, 27 SUSPECTED CULTISTS

The police command also said it arrested 27 suspected cultists after it foiled a planned attack on Aladja.

A statement issued in Asaba by the command’s spokesman, DSP Celestina Kalu, said the robbery suspect was nabbed by a combined team of the police and the Ovwian Vigilance group which responded to a distress call.

“ On July 3 at about 9.50 p.m., a police patrol team from Ovwian/Aladja Division on joint patrol with Ovwian vigilance group received information about an on-going robbery incident on Isoko Street.

“Consequently, the team immediately raced to the scene where one of the suspects who claimed to be 18 years was apprehended after demobilising him with a gunshot on his right leg.

“The police shot the suspect on the leg to forestall his escape while other members of the gang escaped.

“ The injured suspect is presently receiving treatment,’’ she said.

Kalu said items recovered from the suspect included one HTC phone belonging to a victim while the police had extended its dragnet after fleeing members of the gang.

The spokesperson also said that a combined team of the police and local vigilance group in the area had on July 4 at about 11 p.m. arrested suspected cultists who had gathered at a location to plan an attack.

“The youths numbering about 40 gathered to unleash mayhem in the community but the police arrested 27 of them while the rest escaped,” she said.

Kalu listed items recovered from them to include one Toyota Hiace bus marked UBJ 449 AA, dried weeds suspected to be Indian hemp and white candles.

She said the police would do everything possible to apprehend the fleeing cultists.