CHUKA UBAH
Police operatives from the Imo State Command have made significant breakthroughs in its ongoing crackdown on criminal activities with the recovery of a large cache of arms including rockets launchers and arrested of thousands of suspects during sting operation.
P.M.EXPRESS reports as was disclosed by the Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, who attributed the success to improved intelligence gathering, proactiveness of the his Police officers.
In a statement on Saturday, 19th July, 2025, the Command revealed it had successfully raided several criminal hideouts, resulting in the arrest of no fewer than 2,785 suspects.
The offences range from armed robbery, kidnapping to cultism, child trafficking, and illegal possession of firearms among others during the period in view.
The Police also confirmed the recovery of an alarming quantity of weapons, including 20 pump-action guns, 14 AK-47 rifles, two general purpose machine guns (GPMGs) and four locally fabricated rocket launchers.
Other recovered items included over 1,000 rounds of live ammunition and several vehicles believed to have been used in criminal operations.
The Police boss, CP Danjuma, attributed the success to improved intelligence gathering, proactive policing and the support of the local communities.
“These recoveries and arrests are a clear message to criminal elements that Imo State is no longer safe for their operations,” Danjuma stated.
He assured residents that the Command remains committed to ensuring the safety of lives and property and urged continued collaboration between the public and law enforcement.
“We call on well-meaning citizens to provide credible information that will aid in flushing out criminal networks,” he added.
This development comes amid heightened concerns over insecurity in the Southeast region. Analysts say the large arms haul underscored the scale of the threat and the urgent need for sustained efforts to dismantle arms smuggling and militia networks operating in the region.
Meanwhile, the Police said they have continued to launch attacks on the criminals across the State to fish them out for prosecution for various criminal offences.