Three operatives of the Imo State Police Command have been dismissed from the force following allegations of kidnapping, armed robbery, and car snatching, the police said on Friday.

The dismissed officers — ex-Sgt Gift Ekwueme, ex-Sgt Ikechukwu Eto, and ex-Cpr Divine Okwuaru — are currently detained at the Imo State Police Headquarters and are expected to be arraigned in court.

The state police spokesperson, DSP Henry Okoye, confirmed to PUNCH Online on Friday that the trio were dismissed after being found guilty at an orderly room trial.

“Yes, the incident happened, and after we received the complaint, the police swung into investigation.

“They were arrested, detained, faced an orderly room trial, and after they were found guilty, they were dismissed and the Imo CP has ratified it. They are now ex-Policemen. They will be arraigned in the law court for prosecution,” he said.

The officers were accused of kidnapping and extorting Mr Obinna Egbu in Owerri on February 8, 2026, at gunpoint of ₦1.7 million, posing as members of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit alongside a civilian driver, Alex Chukwu.

Okoye added that the dismissal sends a strong signal to all operatives.

He said the new Imo Police Commissioner, Audu Garba Bosso, had warned that he will not tolerate any form of corruption, high-handedness, and professional misconduct from operatives of the command, adding that defaulters will be dealt with.

The development has reportedly sent shock waves through the command. (The PUNCH, excluding headline)