Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Police Force Headquarters, in Abuja, on Monday, paraded three suspected criminals who allegedly attacked the farm house of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu and killing a police Sergeant in the process.
The suspects included a dismissed Nigerian Air Force (NAF) personnel, Vincent Michael with NAF number: NAF12/26972L/CPL, Inalegwu Omikpa, and Francis Ochife.
Items recovered from them included, two AK47 rifles owned by the Police, two mobile phones, two magazines and 60 rounds of AK47 ammunitions.
Parading the suspects before newsmen, Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Aremu Adeniran, said Michael was handed over to them by the Air Force after he was dismissed for the commission of other crimes.
Adeniran also said that two other NAF personnel, who took part in the operation, were currently facing disciplinary action with the Nigeria Air Force and would be handed over to the Police as soon as the service concluded its investigation.
The deputy force spokesman who said the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, directed the Intelligence Response Team to carry out a discreet investigation into the attack which occurred on the 12th of December, 2017, said “The principal suspects were arrested by the Police Team in their various criminal hideouts after an unrelenting trail on the perpetrators of the unfortunate incident by the personnel of the IGP IRT.
“Two Police AK47 Rifles carted away from the slain Police Sergeant and one other Police personnel on duty were recovered from the possession of a member of the gang in his village home in Otukpo, Benue State.”
According to him, “Omikpa is the gang leader who contacted Lance CPL Vincent Michael (aka Romeo), having received information on the location from one of his gang members, Francis Ochife.
“Francis Ochife confessed to have discovered the location and informed Omikpa for them to strike.
“Dismissed Lance CPL Michael confessed to have recruited two other gang members currently in custody of the Nigerian Air Force.”
He said the suspects who have confessed to the crime and the various roles they played would be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded while efforts are ongoing to arrest other members of the gang who are on the run.