The Nigeria Police Force has announced the arrest of a gang of kidnappers allegedly responsible for the abduction and murder of retired Major General Richard Duru in September 2023.
The incident occurred along Bishops Court, Area 7, Orji/Uratta Owerri, where Duru was kidnapped in his black Mercedes Benz.
The kidnappers demanded and collected a ransom of $50,000 from Duru’s family but tragically murdered him despite the payment.
The Imo Police Command paraded the suspected killers at its headquarters in Owerri, the Imo state capital, alongside 32 other individuals accused of various crimes across the state.
Imo Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, attributed the successful arrests to the proactive operational strategies adopted by the command’s personnel.
He detailed that the anti-kidnapping unit of the command, through sustained intelligence gathering and follow-up operations, apprehended one of the suspects, Chukwunonso Emmanuel, in Lagos.
Emmanuel was captured while attempting to obtain a new number plate for Duru’s stolen car.
His arrest subsequently led to the capture of two more gang members, Okoroigwe Goodness and Innocent Ogu, who have confessed to the crime.
Over the past two months, the Imo Police Command has arrested 435 suspects involved in various criminal activities, including murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, terrorism, advance fee fraud, cultism, and theft.
During this period, the command recovered 48 different firearms, 552 rounds of live ammunition, rescued 13 kidnapped victims unharmed, and recovered 10 stolen vehicles.
Okoye praised the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, led by CSP Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa, for their dedication and effectiveness in apprehending the criminals.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the command, under the leadership of Commissioner of Police Danjuma Aboki, to continue the relentless fight against banditry and all forms of criminality in the state.
The arrest and parade of these suspects provide some solace to the community and Duru’s family, highlighting the ongoing efforts of the police to bring justice and maintain security in Imo State.
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