Police Nab Notorious Criminal Aghanu

CHUKA UBAH

Police operatives from the Ogidi Division of the Anambra State Police Command have finally nabbed a suspected notorious criminal, Leonard Aghanu, who had reportedly been on their wanted list for heinous crimes across the state.

According to SP Haruna Mohammed, the spokesman of the Anambra State Police Command, the suspect, Leonard Aghanu, 27, of Ekwulu Village, Umuoji, had been on the Police wanted list in relation to different criminal cases. A Super Honda Cub 90 motorcycle with registration number JJT312 QY robbed from one Ndubuisi lbegbu of Ireh village, Umuoji on 7th December, 2018 and an iPhone robbed from Barrister Obiora Nweze on 23rd March, 2019, including two machetes and a big hammer were recovered from him as exhibits.

The Police PRO, SP Haruna, said that on 28th May, 2019, at about 2.45pm, following intelligence report, Police detectives attached to Ogidi Division arrested the notorious suspect at Akuzor Nkpor in Idemili North LGA of Anambra State. He said that the case is under investigation and effort is ongoing to apprehend his accomplices and bring them to Justice.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that there was wild jubilation in Umuoji and environs when the news of his arrest was heard. According to one Ejikeme Okeke who spoke to our correspondent, the news of the arrest of the suspect, Leonard Aghanu, was a big relief to the members of the community. He narrated how the suspect and members of his gang had terrorized the town for a long period. He said that about two weeks ago, owing to being linked to several heinous crimes, the youths in the community set a hotel purported owned by the suspect ablaze as he reportedly escaped through the bush.

Another member of the community, Nonso Amaefuna, said he was very happy that the Police have finally arrested the dreaded criminal. He said the suspect had been arrested in the past for various crimes but was left off the hook after a while and he continued with his nefarious activities. He alleged that the suspect, Aghanu, in connivance with some criminal elements from their neighbouring town, Nkpor, had illegally been selling plots of land belonging to some families in the community. He narrated how they used to sell some plots of land to unsuspecting members of the public and back them up to commence building by positioning themselves with guns on the said plots of land so as to scare their owners from coming to take back possession.

It would be recalled that P.M.EXPRESS in the month of March, 2019, had reported how the suspect, Mr. Leonard Aghanu and some of his boys allegedly abducted and almost eliminated a legal practitioner, Barrister Obiora Nweze, who eventually jumped out of a moving vehicle on the way to their den.

The suspect had then reportedly driven the lawyer at gunpoint to the nearest Fidelity Bank at Nkpor and made withdrawals with his ATM cards before the lawyer then made attempt to escape for his dear life by jumping out of the car around Tarzan area in Nkpor. His car was reportedly found around Iro Ekwulu Village, Umuoji and later moved to the Ogidi Police Division.

When the suspect, Aghanu, was arrested by Police operatives on 28^th May, 2019, an iPhone, one of the things he had collected from Barrister Obiora Nweze during the abduction incident was recovered from him. According to the Police spokesman, SP Haruna Mohammed, he is currently helping the police in their efforts to apprehend his gang members now at large.