Police Raid Imo Forest, Arrest 5 Suspects

Following a viral video showing decomposing corpses in a forest at Avu in Imo State, the Police have arrested five suspects in connection with the crime.

The video revealed that the state hunters association had discovered decomposing corpses and alleged that some Fulani people were responsible for the incident.

Imo Police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, stated in a press release that the tactical team of the command, led by the State Commissioner of Police, Aboki Dajuma, in synergy with local hunters, stormed the hideout of the hoodlums in a forest in Avu community on Monday and arrested the suspects.

The five arrested men are Muazu Awuta, aged 30 years, Abdullahi Abubakar, 32 years, Ozeru Sabo, 25 years, Saddam Suleiman, aged 27 years, and Bashir Yahay, 28 years.

According to Okoye, all the suspects hail from Jau local government area of Jigawa State and have provided useful information to the police concerning other gang members who are currently on the run.

The statement revealed that items discovered in the forest included “two decomposing unidentified corpses suspected to be kidnapped victims and other items such as telephones, wristwatches, shoes, slippers, and five operational motorcycles of the abductors.”

Furthermore, the police stated, “The command intends to carry out further DNA confirmatory tests to ascertain the identity of the deceased.

“Intense operations are still ongoing in the forest and other identified black spots with the aim of stamping out all forms of crime and criminality in the state.”

Meanwhile, communities in Ndegwu, Orogwe, and Irete, all in Owerri West local government area, have raised the alarm over alleged recurring abductions in the areas.

Additionally, the Imo police boss stated that the command has launched a manhunt for the perpetrators of the POS robbery attacks and the killers of the police officer at Ohii junction on Monday.

He clarified that only one police officer and two residents of the area were killed in the incident, not two officers as earlier reported.