Police arrest 36 suspects over murder, armed robbery – FPRO

The Police on Wednesday said they have arrested 36 suspects over murder, criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, cattle rustling, receiving of stolen items and car theft.

The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) Mr Frank Mba disclosed this at a news briefing in Abuja.

He said the suspects, consisting 35 males and one female, had been clearly and evidentially linked to the offences alleged to have been committed.

Mba said that a total of 12 assorted weapons, made up of eight AK49 rifles, three AK47 rifles and one locally made weapon were recovered from the suspects during investigation.

According to him, also recovered are 20 AK47 magazines, 346 rounds of AK47 ammunition, 24 rounds of live cartridges, a cash sum of N1.4 million and six cars.

Mba said that the suspects involved in the murder of one Josephine Oche, a personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were among the suspects arrested.

He said Oche, 45 was in a relationship with one of the suspects, 54,  who had professed love and promised to marry her.

“In the course of the relationship, several financial transactions took place and it is believed  that  Oche had handed over a large chunk of money to her lover.

“Between Dec. 19 and 20, 2019,  Oche had visited her lover, who lured her to the house of a native doctor in Benue, where she was murdered.

“Her body was taken to a forest where she was buried in a shallow grave,” he said.

He said that the deceased lover had promised to pay the native doctor N5 million out of the N14 million he collected from Oche.

Mba said the decomposed body had been exhumed by the police for further investigation.

The FPRO also said a criminal syndicate involved in the vandalism of rail tracks was among the suspects arrested by the police.

Mba said three truck loads of rail tracks were recovered from the suspects adding that the tracks were neatly removed and being conveyed to the end receivers in Cross River.

He said the criminals were intercepted by  operatives of the Police Special Tactical Squad.