Police declare retired officer, seven others wanted

The police in Enugu State, south-east Nigeria, have declared eight crime suspects wanted over alleged murder and terrorism in the state.

The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Monday night.

Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, identified one of the suspects as 47-year-old Uche Asogwa, a retired police officer.

He said Mr Asogwa hails from Ovoko, a community in the Igbo-Eze South Council Area of Enugu State, but resides in Igga, another community in the Uzo-Uwani Council Area of the state.

The spokesperson named the other suspects as Gabriel Emebe, 41; Ogechukwu Ogbonna, 26; Chimezie Ugwu, 21; Chizoba Ogbuabor, 36; and Evarestus Eze, 43.

Two others – Jude Nebeolisa, 27, and Chitor Okechukwu, 28 – were also among the suspects declared wanted by the police.

All the suspects are males and residents of Igga Community in the state, the police said.

The police attached the photographs of the suspects in the statement.

“The above-named persons in the attached photographs and respective descriptions, have been declared wanted by the Enugu State Command of the Nigeria Police Force in the case of conspiracy to wit: murder, terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, arson, and unlawful possession of firearms,” Mr Ndukwe said in the statement.

The spokesperson asked Nigerians to arrest and hand over to the police any of the wanted suspects seen around their neighbourhood.

He dropped some mobile phone numbers and urged Nigerians to contact the police for any information that would assist them in tracking down the wanted suspects.

“A handsome monetary reward will be given for credible information received on each of them,” he said.

Killing of security operatives

Mr Ndukwe did not give details of the alleged crimes committed by the suspects.

But PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the declaration was connected to the recent killing of two police operatives and three vigilante members in Igga Community in early May.

This newspaper learnt that the traditional ruler of the Igga Community, Herbert Ukuta, and seven other community leaders were subsequently arrested and detained by the Enugu State Police Command over the attack.

Mr Ukuta and others were, in June, arraigned before Enugu North Magistrate Court 1 on a 10-count charge, including conspiracy, membership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and murder of the five security personnel.

The court later remanded them at the Enugu Maximum Custodial Centre.

IPOB, a group seeking the independent state of Biafra to be carved out of the south-east and some parts of south-south Nigeria, has been linked to some deadly attacks in the regions.

However, the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.