Imo Police Command has apprehended Deberechi Chukwu, who is suspected of being one of the killers of a former Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Christian Kpatuma, in Agwa village in the state’s Oguta Local Government Area.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Kpatuma was kidnapped at his home on Wednesday by a gang of young men suspected of being cultists.
They allegedly took him to a neighbouring jungle, murdered him, and then dumped his body in front of his compound.
The command’s spokesman, Mike Abattam (CSP), said in a statement that the suspect, Deberechi Chukwu, the leader of the cult group, was arrested after a discreet investigation.
Abattam said the suspect was arrested at a border while trying to escape to a neighbouring State.
The statement said, “following a report of a case of murder received by the Agwa Divisional Police Headquarters that Kpatuma was abducted by a group of young men suspected to be cultist in his house.
“On receipt of information that Kpatuma was taken to a nearby bush where he was killed and later the corpse was brought back and dumped in front of his compound, the Commissioner of Police, CP Rabiu Hussaini, immediately dispatched the command’s tactical teams to the Agwa community with a mandate to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act.
“On arrival, the team commenced discreet investigation and after diligent gathering of both forensic and technical intelligence, one of the suspects, Deberechi Chukwu, was arrested while escaping to a another state.
The PPRO said in the course of an investigation, it was revealed that the suspect is a notorious kidnapper and an escapee from the Imo Correctional Center, Owerri.
According to him, the suspect, after escaping from the prison, recruited young men into his cult group and were terrorising the Agwa community.
“It is also on record that he was involved in the killing of a lot of security personnel in the state.
“However, he has made useful statement and have volunteered assisting the police in the arrest of other members of his gang currently on the run,” he said.
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