Spokesperson for Ondo State Police Command, Bright Edafe, who paraded the suspects in Asaba, said the two suspects: Tochukwu Nnamani, ‘m’, 22, and Chukwuma Unue, ‘m’, 38, from Rivers State were arrested by police patrol team stationed at Patani Expressway.
Edafe said the vehicle with registration No. OD 231 A10 was recovered at about 2030hours, same date the suspects were arrested.
According to him, the Command got wind of the stolen van through a distress call from Ondo State Command, “suspecting that the vehicle was already in Delta State.”
Armed with relevant information, he said, the Command’s Decoy squad immediately embarked on a technical intelligence investigation, and trailed the car to Patani.
“The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Patani was contacted, who in turn alerted police patrol team on Patani Expressway where the suspects and the vehicle were arrested.
“The suspects claimed that the vehicle was handed over to them by one Efe in Ughelli to deliver to one Chief Ojukwu at Mbaima town in River State.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the vehicle belongs to Ondo State government, and attached to Ministry of Lands and Infrastructure,” he added.
Edafe also said the police recovered various arms, which include: A G-3 rifle, one SMG rifle, four English pump action guns, two locally made guns, as well as two locally fabricated pistols in Ekpan.
He explained that the deployment of a new DPO to Ekpan division, with a firm directive to flush out criminals in Ekpan and environs, led to the recovery of the arms.
According to him, the DPO had stakeholders meetings with residents where he warned that crime would not be tolerated in the area.
He advised those in possession of firearms to respects themselves and surrender their weapons.
“Some residents in Ekpan yielded to this advice and dropped their arms at a conspicuous place in the community, and some didn’t. Hence, the DPO swiftly mobilised his men and recovered the various arms,” Edafe added.
