ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Two members of a three-man armed robbery gang who allegedly impersonated police officers in order to rob residents of Imo state, have been arrested by the State police.
The police spokesperson in the state, Michael Abattam, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
Abattam noted that the suspects were arrested in response to a distress call from one of their victims.
He said the victim contacted the police when he saw one of the suspected members of the gang who had snatched his ash-coloured Lexus 330 SUV at gunpoint on 18 July in Owerri.
It was learnt that the suspects forced the victim into the booth of the vehicle and drove him to a lonely place.
After robbing him of all his other valuables, the suspects also used the victim’s phone to transfer N100,000 from the victim’s bank account.
Also, Mr. Abattam said police operatives initially arrested one of the suspects, Goodness Chinasa, 23, before he led the operatives to the residence of the second suspect, Emeka Orji, 24, who was also arrested.
The third suspect, Julius Chigozie, is said to be on the run, as at the time of filing this report.
The police spokesperson said the two suspects have confessed to being members of the three-man gang and admitted that they robbed the victim.
He said the suspects revealed that they concealed the vehicle they snatched from the victim at Rapour Hotel in Owerri. The police later recovered the vehicle.
Mr Abattam stated that the three suspects had broken into an apartment of a late police officer close to where they were residing and stole his uniforms, bullet proof vests, among other items.
“Their modus operandi is that they dress up in the stolen uniforms, block the road, checking vehicles as if they were genuine police officers,” he said.
The police spokesperson added that the suspects, who pretend to be checking vehicle particulars, usually target people with “flashy cars” whom they often abduct to a solitary place before robbing them.
“Sometimes, they end up kidnapping the victim for a ransom,” Mr Abattam said.
Item recovered from the suspects include one locally made double barrel shotgun, one jack knife, police uniforms and bullet-proof vests.
Mr Abattam quoted the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ahmed Barde, as commending the operatives for their “quick response and gallantry.”
Mr Barde warned hoteliers to be careful with people who make use of their facilities and also park vehicles in their premises.
The police commissioner also thanked residents of the state for their “cooperation and support” to the police. He urged them to always contact the police during emergencies.