The police in Abia State say they have arrested four male suspects for alleged involvement in various criminal offences in the state.

Police spokesperson in the state, Maureen Chinaka, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, said the offences included criminal conspiracy and armed robbery.

Ms Chinaka, a deputy superintendent of police, said the suspects were arrested on Wednesday when police operatives from the Uturu Divisional Headquarters raided their hideout along the Uturu-Isuikwuato Axis in the state.

The police spokesperson identified the suspects as Jerry Chisom, 32, Tochukwu Ugula, 32, and Chinonso Nwankwo, 28 – all indigenes of Abia State.

The fourth suspect, Kingsley Onyekeba, 19, hails from Arondizuogu in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State.

Ms Chinaka said that at about 3:49 p.m. on Wednesday, the Uturu Divisional Police Headquarters received a tip-off that a group of armed robbers were terrorising and robbing students of Abia State University, Uturu and other residents of their valuables.

“Officers from the Uturu Divisional Headquarters, in collaboration with local residents, led by the divisional police officer, successfully traced the hideout of the suspects and apprehended the four male suspects,” she said.

One locally made pistol, one knife, one iPhone 7 Plus, an Infinix phone and a laptop were recovered from the suspects, according to the police.

“Investigation is ongoing to apprehend other fleeing accomplices,” the police added.

Ms Chinaka said, apart from the first hideout, police operatives also identified and dismantled other criminal hideouts in the area during the operation.

She said the ongoing raids also led to the dislodging of other suspected criminals terrorising residents of the area.

According to the statement, the Commissioner of Police in Abia State, Danladi Isa, appealed to the residents of Abia State to support the police by reporting any suspicious persons and activities around their neighbourhood for action.

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Like other states in Nigeria’s South-east, security has deteriorated in Abia State with frequent attacks by armed persons.

kidnappers, cultists and even armed robbers are believed to be partly responsible for the growing insecurity in the region.

Also, separatist groups like the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have been linked to some deadly attacks in the region.

The IPOB-linked attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.

However, the group has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks.

Hundreds of persons have been killed or abducted, and several others injured in some of such attacks in the region.

IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra, which it wants to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south of Nigeria.