The Enugu State Police Command has dismantled a notorious interstate criminal syndicate involved in armed robbery and financial fraud.

The operation, described as a major breakthrough, led to the arrest of eight suspects, including a dismissed soldier, and the recovery of weapons, cash, and stolen items.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed the development in a statement on Saturday.

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He noted that the joint operation, involving the Emene Division, Crack and Octopus Tactical Squads, and the Neighbourhood Watch Group, was initiated following a distress call on November 12, 2024.

“This was achieved through coordinated operations involving the Emene Division, Crack, and Octopus Tactical Squads, alongside the Neighbourhood Watch Group, which led to the arrest of eight male suspects and the recovery of firearms, ammunition, cash, and other stolen items,” DSP Ndukwe said.

The police operation began in the early hours of November 12, 2024, after officers responded to a distress call regarding an armed robbery at an estate in Emene, Enugu.

During the operation, one suspect, 23-year-old Ismaila Isah, was apprehended with a locally made pistol, ₦300,450 in cash, and stolen items.

Following Isah’s arrest, further investigations led to the capture of additional members of the syndicate.

“Ismaila was later transferred to the Crack Tactical Squad for further investigation. His confessional statements and subsequent discreet investigations led to the arrest of Sadik Ahmed, Abbas Usman, Mubarak Garba, Abubakar Haruna, and Abubakar Sani at their hideouts in New Garriki, Awkunanaw, Enugu,” the statement revealed.

In a related development, two other suspects, Obiri Chukwuebuka and Bright Omeniru, were arrested in Owerri, Imo State.

“Operatives from the Octopus Tactical Squad utilised an intelligence report and arrested Obiri Chukwuebuka and Bright Omeniru in Owerri, Imo State.

During interrogation, they admitted to using phones stolen by the syndicate to fraudulently withdraw funds from victims’ bank accounts,” Ndukwe added.

The operation also yielded a large cache of stolen items. Among the recovered items were:.Two locally made pistols (one with a live cartridge and another with an expended cartridge), ₦300,450 in cash, 10 laptops, 10 mobile phones, land documents, jewellery, watches, an MP3 player, headphones, four power banks, two SIM cards, bags, and footwear.

The suspects have confessed to committing multiple armed robberies within the Enugu metropolis and using stolen SIM cards to conduct fraudulent bank transactions.

“Investigations revealed that the suspects confessed to committing multiple armed robberies within the Enugu metropolis and exploited victims’ SIM cards to commit fraud,” said Ndukwe.

The dismissed soldier, Sadik Ahmed, allegedly used his military training to evade police checkpoints and transport stolen goods across state borders.

“Sadik Ahmed, the dismissed soldier, admitted to using his security background to bypass police checkpoints while trafficking stolen items across the state,” the statement read.

The suspects are expected to be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations. DSP Ndukwe expressed the police command’s commitment to tackling crime in the state, highlighting the importance of community collaboration.

“The operation demonstrates our commitment to tackling crime in the state, and we commend the efforts of our officers and the Neighbourhood Watch Group in ensuring the success of this operation,” Ndukwe concluded.