The Abia State Police Command has said that three men arrested over alleged armed robbery and theft of armoured cables will be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.

The suspects, identified as Chinweoke Friday, 23; Nmesoma Eze, 20; and Nnaemeka Nwaolisa, 19, were arrested on October 7 by operatives of the Osisioma Police Divisional Headquarters in collaboration with community security vigilantes.

The Command, in a statement signed yesterday by its Spokesperson, DSP Maureen Chioma Chinaka, said the arrests followed actionable intelligence on the activities of a suspected criminal gang accused of targeting tricycle operators and dispossessing residents of their belongings.

A locally made pistol and a black bag containing chains, charms, a power bank, purses, an ATM card and spanners were recovered during the operation.

According to the police, the suspects allegedly confessed during interrogation to their involvement in the theft of armoured cables belonging to Planet Company, located along the Enugu-Aba Expressway in Osisioma.

The Command said video recordings of their confessional statements had been made, while investigations were ongoing to track down other suspected members of the gang.

The Commissioner of Police, Abia State Command, Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi, reiterated the Command’s commitment to combating armed robbery and other criminal activities across the state.

He, therefore, urged residents to provide timely and credible information to the police to support efforts to safeguard lives and property.

The Command also pledged to sustain intelligence-led policing and strengthen collaboration with community vigilantes and other stakeholders to improve security across Abia State.