The Commissioner of Police in Abia, Mr Anthony Ogbizi, said the command had so far recovered more than 1,000 arms and ammunition from individuals and criminal suspects in the state.

Ogbizi said this in Umuahia on Wednesday while briefing journalists on the activities of the command.

He said that the feat was achieved after intensive search, in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

Idris ordered police commands across the country to mop up illegal arms and ammunition from the people.

The police commissioner said the recovered arms include; AK47, double-barrel guns, General Purpose Machines Guns, pump action guns and locally-made guns.

The police boss, who guided journalists on an inspection of the arms at the Central Police Station, said that the arms were recovered at different locations in the state.

He appealed to residents of the area to assist the police with useful information that could help the command to recover more arms.

Ogbizi also said that the command arrested a former Police Sgt, name withheld, for allegedly using commercial tricycle in Aba to rob and dispossess unsuspecting passengers of their valuables.

He said that the suspect, who was dismissed from the force about two years ago, was arrested after he and three others allegedly robbed some people while on mobile police uniform.

Ogbizi said that the police had begun a manhunt for the other suspects now at large, adding that the command also arrested four persons in connection with alleged child trafficking.

He said the suspects, including two males and two females, connived to steal a four-year-old baby boy in Aba.

The police boss, who said that the suspects later sold the boy for N500,000, assured the people that the command would spread its tentacle toward arresting the buyer.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen, former Police Sgt, admitted that he was arrested while in police uniform but denied being involved in any robbery.

He said that he went to meet his tailor in Aba when some policemen arrested him.

The suspect claimed that he was illegally dismissed, adding that he was still battling for his reinstatement.

The police commissioner gave assurance that the suspects, wh include some suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB) would be prosecuted at the end of police investigations. (NAN)

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