Police allege undergraduates leading armed gangs in Abia

The police in Abia State say their investigations have revealed that many of the armed gangs in the state are led by students from one of the tertiary institutions located within the state.

Leye Oyebade, the state Commissioner of Police (CP) who disclosed this while parading some criminal suspects, described the development as very disturbing, adding that the police command would be seeking audience with the authority of the school, towards addressing the trend. He said findings by the police showed that 75 percent of crimes in Abia, including armed robbery, car snatching, raping, cultism were perpetrated by either past or present students of the school of the particular school. The CP said one of the paraded suspects, 27-year-old Ugochukwu Kingsley, was a graduating student of Computer Science from the school (name

He said findings by the police showed that 75 percent of crimes in Abia, including armed robbery, car snatching, raping, cultism were perpetrated by either past or present students of the school of the particular school. The CP said one of the paraded suspects, 27-year-old Ugochukwu Kingsley, was a graduating student of Computer Science from the school (name withheld), and was the driver of a Mercedes car used for armed operation, who had earlier escaped on October, 13, but was later arrested.

One Benjamin from Nkporo area of the state, a member of the gang was also arrested on October 17. Also paraded were three others who aided and abetted the principal suspect in their bid to evade arrest. They are Ukanwoke Christian, Amadi Humphrey, and Tasie Eke Kelechi all students of the same school.

The Abia police boss said Tasie Eke who was fingered in the murder of one police sergeant, Nkanu Ogor in Aba on August this year had been handed over to the state Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation. He further said that all the suspects had confessed to have taken part in this crime and other numerous cases of car snatching in Umuahia. Also paraded were suspected cultists who were chanting songs before officers and men of the SCID acting on a tip-off arrested them.