The Anambra State Police Command said it has arrested some suspects in connection to the killing of the President-General of the Umuoji community in the Idemili North Local Government Area of the state, Silas Onyima.
The state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the arrest of some suspects to our correspondent in a telephone conversation on Monday.
Some gunmen suspected to be assassins had invaded the residence of the deceased on Friday and killed him.
It was gathered that the hoodlums shot him in the bathroom while he was taking his bath, after inflicting him with several matchete cuts.
Following the development, the state police command said it immediately launched a manhunt for the killers.
Although Ikenga did not disclose the number of persons arrested so far, he said the arrests were made based on intelligence gathering which the state Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, has set in place.
He said, “The police are working on the suspects with a view to getting reasonable information from them and at the appropriate time their identities would be made public.
“Yes, we have some persons in our custody. The Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Aderemi Adeoye, is pleased with the success made so far on the investigations. Soon there will be a proper press briefing by the command, please.”
The state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, while condemning the killing of the Onyima, directed the state security agencies to take “immediate and decisive action” to apprehend the culprits and ensure swift prosecution of those responsible to deter future recurrences.
Meanwhile, a police source disclosed that one of the suspects arrested is a tenant of the deceased.
The suspect was said to have the deceased’s telephones, ATM cards, his gun and many other items taken from his house and was withdrawing money from the late Onyima’s account before they were arrested.
The source said the suspects have been taken to the divisional police station in Ogidi for interrogation.