The gang members posed in the bus as commuters, raped a female passenger, stole her bag, ATM card and other items before the police swooped on them
Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka
The new proactive crime-fighting approach adopted by the Anambra State Police Command has yielded fruit again, as operatives of the Command Sunday night smashed a ‘one-chance’ robbery syndicate and suspected rapists.
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This comes barely five days after the Command had arrested a similar syndicate which allegedly hypnotized their female victim, robbed her of her money and other valuables and pushed her out of a moving Toyota Camry vehicle.
Disclosing the latest arrests yesterday, Anambra Police Public Relations Officer Haruna Mohammed (SP) said a member of the syndicate was arrested while others were still on the run.
Haruna, restating the Command’s determination to stem the tide of crime in the southeastern state and provide safety and security, narrated the circumstances of the arrest:
“On the 14/10/2018 at about 10:00 p.m., police patrol team attached to Oyi Division arrested one Chinedu Uyanna, male, age 28, of Nkpor Uno in Idemili South LGA of Anambra State.
“Suspect along with his fleeing accomplices belonged to a syndicate who specialized in robbing oblivious passengers using a Mitsubishi L300 bus with REG number XC 489 GWA.”
The gang members, who he said posed in their bus as commuters, conveyed a 28-year-old, a resident of Onitsha, and a male who boarded the bus at Nkpor to Ogbommanu in Onitsha, as they “suddenly diverted to Umunya/Tansian University road and allegedly raped the female passenger, stole her bag, ATM card and other items before the police swooped on them, leading to the arrest of the bus driver while other gang members escaped.”
Haruna further stated that the victim was taken to Chira Hospital Awkuzu for medical examination, while the Mitsubishi bus used in the operation was recovered.
The police spokesman said the Command was making every effort to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate in order to bring them to justice.
He went on to reassure the public of the Command’s readiness to ensure citizens are protected, more so during the present Ember Months period, urging residents to be wary of the vehicles they board, particularly unregistered ones, in order not to fall victims of ‘one-chance’ robbery.