From Chidi Nnadi and Petrus Obi, Enugu

A suspected armed robber has confessed in Enugu that his gang killed seven commercial tricycle operators in the state and five motorcycle riders in Nasarawa State.

The suspect, Nonso Azubike, was a member of two man-gang that had allegedly sent many commercial tricycle operators and motorcycle riders to their untimely graves.

He was paraded by the state Commissioner of Police, Nwodibo Ozechukwu, while briefing newsmen on the abduction of a Catholic Priest, Sandra Onu at New Heaven, Monday night.

He vowed that the priest and another unidentified kidnap victim abducted at the New Independence Layout would be rescued while the perpetrators would be brought to book.

“The reported disappearance of three Keke riders, all from the Northern part of the country led to the discovery of other decomposing bodies in an uncompleted building about a month ago and subsequent arrest of the two suspects,” he said.

Parading one of the suspects, CP Ekechukwu noted that the duo of Nonso Azubuike and Kenedy Ihunegbo started the crime of killing and robbing commercial motorcycle riders of their bikes in Abuja in 2014 before they moved over to Ado area of Nasarawa State.

According to him, they had a failed operation in Keffi the same year when a man they thought they had killed raised the alarm, leading to the arrest of Nonso, who managed to get out of the case before both of them relocated to Enugu in January this year.

Ekechukwu said in Enugu, the suspects operated by stopping and entering tricycles at a point along Ogui Road or Mosque area of Artisan, requesting the operator on each occasion to drop them at their purported building site at Ugwuaji, off the Port Harcourt expressway.

“At the fake building site, usually a lonely place, the suspects would request the Keke rider to carry blocks for them to another location. The unsuspecting victim would be hit on the head with a very heavy iron hammer as he bends to carry the block,” he said.

Speaking to newsmen, Nonso confessed that they have killed seven Keke riders since January, adding that they would thereafter take away the victim’s tricycle, wipe off the fleet numbers allocated to them and sell to prospective buyers.

The Commissioner of Police disclosed that the second suspect, Kennedy took ill and was taken to Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu where he died.

Others paraded by the police were seven car snatchers.