Imo State Police Command officials said they have detained a suspect in the death of retired police officer n the Mgbala Agwa Autonomous Community, Oguta Local Government Area.
CSP Micheal Abattam, the command’s spokesman, stated in a statement on Friday that upon receiving information about the retired officer’s murder, the Commissioner of Police, CP Rabiu Hussaini, immediately dispatched the command’s tactical teams to the Agwa Community with a mandate to find the perpetrators of the heinous act.
CSP Abattam went on to say that when the teams arrived, they began a covert inquiry. According to him, one of the suspects and leader of the cult group that killed the retired police officer, Deberechi Chukwu, was apprehended while fleeing to a border state after assiduously gathering both forensic and technical intelligence.
The spokesman further stated that during the inquiry, it was discovered that the suspect, Deberechi Chukwu, is a known kidnapper and escapee from the Imo Correctional Center in Owerri, Imo State.
After escaping from the Imo Correctional Centre, the suspect formed a cult of young men that terrorized the Agwa community.
According to the police, Chukwu was involved in the assassination of a large number of security personnel in the state. However, the suspect is believed to have since given useful comments and has volunteered to help police apprehend other members of his gang who are now on the run.
Based on the suspect’s confession, it was gathered that the group of young men suspected to be cultist residents in Mgbala Community Agwa in Oguta LGA of Imo State, conspired amongst themselves and went to the home of the retired Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) and a native of Mgbala.
They abducted and took him to a nearby bush where they killed him and later carried the corpse back and dump it in front of his compound.
With investigations now underway, the Commissioner of Police, while commending the officers for their prompt action, urged them to intensify efforts in ensuring that the other suspects linked to the murders are arrested.
He also advised the people of the community and the vigilante groups to work in collaboration with the police and give credible information that will assist in the arrest of other suspects.