Chukwudi Achife
14 October 2008
Enugu — THE Police in Enugu yesterday paraded 23 armed robbery suspects believed to be responsible for the rising wave of attacks on motorists along the Enugu - Onitsha expressway.
Also paraded were four ladies including a nursing mother and a young girl was alleged to be a sister to a serving member of the state cabinet and is said to be supplying hoodlums with cocaine which they consume before setting out on their criminal operations.
One of the suspected cocaine peddlers who said she was also an addict, Ifeoma Umeh, confessed selling off her late father's two cars and other valuables to enable her pay for the cocaine she bought from one Madam Bridget Igwebuike adding that she had been in the business since the death of her father two years ago.
According to her, when her debts which she failed to disclose to her woman had become unbearable, she decided to sale the cars, adding however, that money realized from the sales were used "to purchase more cocaine for my business".
Recovered from them were some quantities of powdered substances wrapped in cellophane suspected to be cocaine and a polythene bag containing weeds suspected to be Indian hemp.
Also recovered were locally made pistols, live ammunition, and mobile handsets among other dangerous weapons Addressing newsmen during the parade, State Commissioner of police, Sanni Magaji disclosed that the suspects were apprehended during series of raids launched by the Special Anti Robbery Squad Unit {SARS} following the confessions of some arrested robbers.
According to him, the suspected robbers had informed the police that "they use to sniff cocaine and smoke Indian hemp bought from Madam Bridget Igwebuike who resides at Obiagu before their evil activities"
The commissioner said that other suspected cocaine/indian hemp dealers and smokers who were arrested during the raid included Chikwado Ozor Onyia and Uju Ogbu, adding that it was on interrogation that Ifeoma Umeh confessed "to have sold her late father's two vehicles and other valuables to settle Madam Igwebuike"
He continued that investigations into the matter were in progress, assuring that the police was making efforts to arrest the remaining suspects in the state in order to reduce violent crimes in the state.
Magaji called on the people of the state to assist the police with useful information on the activities of armed robbers in order to reduce violent crimes. He assured that the command would continue to rid the state of hoodlums, expressing regrets that despite the efforts of his men, robbery cases have been on the increase in the state.
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2008 Daily Champion. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
Concentrated cannabis (Indian hemp) oil can cure cancer and many other serious illnesses. Please watch Rick Simpson's "Run from the Cure" at www.phoenixtearsmovie.com. Please read my book "The Emperor Wears No Clothes" online free at www.jackherer.com. It is all about the history and many uses of cannabis hemp. We can end hunger, cure cancer and reverse the Greenhouse Effect with cannabis hemp!