The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has arrested four suspects over the murder of a retired Brigadier General, Uwem Udokwere, in his Sunshine Estate home in Abuja.
Mr Benneth Igweh, the Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of FCT, disclosed this at a news conference on Monday in Abuja.
He said the suspects were arrested by police operatives from Utako Division on Sunday following credible intelligence.
How armed robbers killed Army General in Abuja
Igweh said the suspects were responsible for the attack, robbery and killing of the retired officer on June 22 in his residence at Sunshine homes Estate in Kabusa area of Abuja.
The commissioner said the suspects who had confessed to the crime, said that they stabbed the general when he tried to resist them with his pistols.
The sudden death of the former army officer has left his wife and two children in grief and the whole community in panic.
Igweh said the knife used for the crime and the deceased stolen phone were recovered from the suspects.
He said efforts were being intensified to arrest other fleeing members of the gang and recover the pistols taken away from the deceased.
On Sunday, the police operatives led by Victor Godfrey, a chief superintendent of police, commenced an investigation and subsequently apprehended the culprits after tracking the phone one of them mistakenly dropped while they were being chased the previous day.
The Chairman of the estate, Odulami Ayotunde, said the report was given to its residents on Monday.
“We went to the police station yesterday, and we were told that one of them dropped his phone and they tracked it and arrested him and others,” he said.
The report listed those arrested as Ibrahim Rabiu ‘m’ 33 years old from Dala LGA Kano State and resident at Rasha Apo Roundabout; Nafiu Jamil ‘m’ 33 years old from Tofa LGA Kano, but resident at Apo Pantekar; Aliyu Abdullahi ‘m’ 47 yrs old from Shinkafi LGA of Zamfara State and resident at Apo Roundabout Abuja, and Mohammed Nuhu ‘m’ 28 yrs old from Kumbotso LGA Kano State, also resident at Apo Primary School.
The commissioner said operatives of the command’s anti-kidnapping unit on May 26, trailed and arrested two wanted and notorious kidnap suspects in Dei-Dei Area of Abuja.
Igweh said the suspects were arrested following credible intelligence were escapees of Kuje Prison break in 2022.
He said the duo were members of the kidnap syndicate that stormed livestock estate in Dei-Dei sometimes in December, 2023, kidnapped 17 victims and collected huge ransom before their release.
Igweh said the suspects had confessed to the crime and had collected the sum of N400, 000 and N300, 000 respectively as ransom.
He said the suspects had told police operatives during investigation that their syndicate was one of the four kidnapping groups terrorising FCT and its environs.
The commissioner said 91 rustled cattle, four sheep and one AK-47 rifle were recovered from the suspects.
He said operatives from the anti-kidnapping unit of the command, in a streak of coordinated clearance operations on some identified bandits camps, arrested an informant, logistics supplier and POS operator to kidnappers.
Igweh said the suspect was the chief informant and logistics supplier to the whole kidnapping groups under the general command of a suspect, currently on the run.
The commissioner said the suspect had confessed to be the facilitator of the movement of nurses, hard drugs and sex workers on request to the kidnapping groups.
“He is also the financial courier through whom money is distributed or shared on request to the kidnapper’s families and has distributed about N20, 000, 000 on behalf of the kidnappers.
“He has confirmed that the group led by the suspect at large, has over 15 members, all having AK-47 rifles and that, there are sub groups under him,” he said
Igweh said the suspects would be charge to court upon completion of investigation.
The full report
ARREST OF NOTORIOUS MURDERERS/ARMED ROBBERS AND RECOVERY OF EXHIBITS:
Good morning. Full report on the Arrests
23/06/2024 at Kabusa and Pigbakasa Apo in FCT, Abuja Utako Div.operatives led by Csp Victor O Godfrey arrested four suspects who robbed and murdered a retired Brigadier General, Gen. Uwen Harold (Retd) N/5575 15th Regular course at house no.9 Sanga street Sundshine Homes by Kabusa Junction Lokogoma FCT, Abuja.
They are (1) Ibrahim Rabiu ‘m’ 33 yrs old from Dala LGA Kano state but resident at Rasha Apo Roundabout (2) Nafiu Jamil ‘m’ 33 yrs old from Tofa LGA Kano, but resident at Apo Pantekar (3) Aliyu Abdullahi ‘m’ 47 yrs old from Shinkafi LGA of Zamfara state but resident at Apo Roundabout Abuja (4) Mohammed Nuhu ‘m’ 28 yrs old from Kumbotso LGA Kano state but resident at Apo primary school.
The suspects have all confessed to the heinous crimes of murder and armed robbery of the late General. They stated that during the armed robbery incident, they murdered the Gen. to prevent him from harming them with his pistols he brought out to defend himself but couldn’t effectively manipulated it.
They also confessed to have stolen Laptops, phones among other valuables from the deceased home. As fate would have, the knife in which they stabbed him to death was recovered.
The deceased black GSM phone ‘Redmi‘ made was also recovered. Effort is on top gear to recover two pistols they confessed to have taken away from the General house.
Effort is on top gear to arrest the fleeing remaining suspects and recover the weapons. Investigation has commenced. Further developments will be communicated Sir.
NAN/Premium Times
