Aba: Police Arrest Three Suspected Armed Robbers, Recover Locally Made Pistol

The Abia State Police Command has arrested three suspected armed robbers and recovered a locally made pistol and other items allegedly linked to their criminal activities in Osisioma Local Government Area of the state.

The suspects, identified as Chinweoke Friday, 23; Nmesoma Eze, 20; and Nnaemeka Nwaolisa, 19, were arrested on October 7, 2026, by operatives of the Osisioma Police Divisional Headquarters working in collaboration with community security vigilantes.

The police said the suspects were allegedly members of a criminal syndicate involved in armed robbery, particularly targeting tricycle operators and dispossessing members of the public of their belongings.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Abia State Command, DSP Maureen Chioma Chinaka, the arrests followed actionable intelligence received by the operatives.

Items recovered during the operation included a locally made pistol and a black bag containing chains, charms, a power bank, purses, an automated teller machine (ATM) card and spanners.

The command further disclosed that, during interrogation, the suspects allegedly confessed to their involvement in the theft of armoured cables belonging to Planet Company, located along the Enugu–Aba Expressway in Osisioma.

The police said video recordings of the suspects’ confessional statements had been made, adding that investigations were ongoing to track down and arrest other suspected members of the criminal syndicate.

The suspects are expected to be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations, the statement added.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Abia State, CP Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi, reiterated the command’s commitment to tackling armed robbery and other criminal activities across the state.

Afolabi urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to the police to support efforts to protect lives and property.

The commissioner also assured residents that the command would sustain intelligence-led policing and strengthen collaboration with community vigilantes and other stakeholders to improve security across Abia State.

The police urged members of the public to remain supportive of ongoing security efforts as investigations into the case continue.