An ex-official of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Chinedu Agwu, aka, General and two other suspected members of a kidnap gang have been arrested for allegedly killing an Abia State businessman, Jacob Ukwa, in the Agbo Hill area of the state.
General, who was released from prison in February 2021 after serving five years for a criminal offence, a welder, Nnadozie Monday; and the gang’s tricycle rider, Godwin Uche were arrested by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligent Response Team.
It was gathered that the arrest was made possible following a directive from the IG, Usman Baba, to the Abia State Commissioner of Police and the Commander- in-Charge of IRT to go after the killers of the businessman.
Police investigations revealed that Agwu’s gang was so feared that some residents of Agbo Hill were afraid to report them to the police.
According to police sources, the suspects confessed to the killing of the businessman and also claimed responsibility for other criminal activities in Abia State.
Members of the gang reportedly told the police that they killed their victim after an attempt to kidnap him failed.
Nnadozie, while narrating how Ukwa was killed said, “We ride around in a tricycle and look around for flashy cars. Sometime in July, we were on patrol when we sighted him driving a flashy car and we trailed him.
“He noticed that we were following him and he drove quickly to his house. He jumped out of the vehicle with his two phones. One of us, nicknamed UC, shot him. I was still in the tricycle but I could hear others blaming UC for the shooting and we escaped from the scene.”
The IRT Commander, Tunji Disu, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, confirmed the arrest of the suspects.