The police in Imo State said they have arrested 2,785 individuals for allegedly committing various criminal offences in the state.
The police spokesperson in the state, Henry Okoye, in a statement on Saturday said the suspects were arrested in multiple operations conducted in the past six months in the state.
Mr Okoye, a deputy superintendent of police, said the offences included kidnapping, terrorism, murder, armed robbery, cultism, and child trafficking.
“These operations also resulted in the rescue of 58 kidnapped victims and 42 stolen children, many of whom have been joyfully reunited with their families,” he said.
Mr Okoye said police operatives, in one of the operations, dismantled a camp belonging to suspected members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed militant wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN).
The spokesperson said police operatives dismantled the IPOB camp at Njaba, a local government area in Imo State, when they raided it.
He said some notorious and wanted IPOB/ESN members were arrested during the operation.
Mr Okoye identified some of the arrested IPOB members as Amechi Onyebuchi, 38, Ozioma Ihedoro, 39, Cyprian Ikegbunam, 50, and Uchenna Opara, 30.
“These individuals were responsible for multiple attacks on security formations and public infrastructure in Njaba LGA
“During interrogation, they confessed to the kidnap and murder of Emmanuel Oguzie, allegedly on the orders of a wanted ESN commander known as Asari,” he said.
“All the suspects will be arraigned in court upon completion of investigation.”
Several arms and ammunition, including explosives, were recovered from the suspects, according to the police.
Some of the items recovered included two GPMGs, 14 pieces of AK-47, 20 pump-action guns, four fabricated rocket launchers, seven gas-cylinder explosives, locally made hand grenades, Biafran flags, and charms.
Mr Okoye said, in another operation, police operatives arrested two suspected kidnappers: Uche Nwachukwu, 24, and Chinonso Ozirim, 32.
The spokesperson said the arrested suspects- believed to be members of a syndicate- allegedly kidnapped a resident, Anayo Iwuoha, on 20 June in his compound at Akabo, a community in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State.
