Police arrest 26 over ‘killing of DPO’ in Imo

The Imo police command says it has arrested 26 persons allegedly linked to the killing of Fatmann Dooiyor, a divisional police officer (DPO), in Oru east LGA of the state.

Abutu Yaro, commissioner of police in Imo, disclosed this in a statement signed by Mike Abattam, the command’s spokesperson, on Monday.

Yaro said officers were led by one  Emmanuel Nnaji to a hotel in Orlu LGA, where the suspects are said to plan their attacks.

He said the suspects were then arrested, while several weapons were recovered.

“Sequel to the recent attack on Omuma Police station and Njaba Police Station respectively, where the bandits were swiftly repelled by the ever alert tactical teams of Imo State Police Command and the unfortunate loss of a Divisional Police Officer and the arrest of one of the bandits, Emmanuel Nnaji ‘M’ age 15 years, a native of Awala in Ideato South LGA of Imo State, with bullet wounds and brought to the station, on interrogation by the command’s tactical teams, the suspect gave a vivid description of a hotel located in Orlu as where they, the bandits, stayed, planned, before they executed their dastardly act on the police stations,” the statement reads.

“He further stated that the owner of the hotel has been accommodating and assisting them financially. He then volunteered and led security forces to the location of the hotel.

“On arrival, the hotel and house were cordoned off and searched. The following exhibits were recovered from the arrested twenty-six suspects, including seven females, in the hotel.”

He listed the weapons to include one AK-47 rifle, two magazines loaded with 55 rounds of live ammunition, five pump action guns, two double barrel cut-to-size guns, and four double barrel locally-made pistols.

According to him, other items recovered are three single barrel locally-made pistols, live cartridges, charms, two bags of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp, Biafra flag and beret, ESN cap, four pairs of army camouflage uniforms, a camouflage bag, and a signboard with the Biafra insignia.

“It is on good record that, it was in the same hotel that the head of a young man was severed and placed on the road close to the hotel premises,” he said.

“In like manner, it would be recalled that, in the same Orlu, some months ago, during the peak of IPOB/ESN attacks and killing of Police officers including innocent citizens and burning of Police stations in the state, that the command’s tactical teams and Special forces, after diligent gathering of technical intelligence, arrested one Boniface Okeke ‘M’, age 57 years, from Obor autonomous community in Orlu LGA of Imo State in connection with terrorism and attacks on security agencies and private individuals, where several police stations were burnt down and police officers killed in numbers.

“On interrogation, he confessed to being a facilitator and financer of IPOB/ESN operation in the state to the tune of ten million Naira (#10,000,000) while he was outside the country.

“He assisted the police in the arrest of some of their members and decimation of their camps in the state.”

Yaro said the suspects would be charged to court when investigation has been concluded.