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The Imo State Police Command, and other sister agencies in collaboration with local vigilantes and forest guards, have stormed forests within Avu, Irete, Ihiagwa, and Obinze, all in Owerri West LGA, in search of suspected kidnappers and other criminal elements ravaging the areas.
A statement by the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Henry Okoye, said the operation became pertinent following recent criminal activities witnessed in those areas, ranging from kidnapping to armed robbery attacks.
DSP Okoye stated that the operation has also been extended to Ngor-Okpala LGA, where reports indicate that suspected kidnappers have taken over the area.
Meanwhile, some villagers, who pleaded anonymity, told newsmen that suspected criminals engaging in attacks on travelers along the busy Aba-Owerri Expressway—shooting and killing passengers—are on the rise.
A driver of one of the attacked buses revealed that he was forced to stop by masked men wielding guns and speaking with a foreign accent.
The villagers added that the most affected area is the bushy and lonely spot between Ihitte Ngor and Umuechem Umuhu, immediately after the Navy checkpoint at Airport Road Junction.
The spokesperson of the State Police Command has urged members of the public to support security agencies by reporting any criminal activities in their respective areas.
He also stated that the ongoing combined operation is aimed at flushing out criminal syndicates threatening the peace and security of the state.
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