Operatives of the Orji Divisional Headquarters, working with the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command, have arrested two suspected armed robbers in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
Gatekeepers News reports that the suspects were apprehended on Wednesday following a robbery incident at the Mangrove area of Aladinma.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, Henry Okoye, disclosed the development in a statement issued Wednesday night.
According to him, the suspects reportedly attacked a man who was washing his car at a car wash in the area, brandishing a firearm and robbing him of his gold chain before attempting to flee.
Okoye, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said the victim immediately chased the suspects with his vehicle and knocked them down, attracting a crowd that descended on them before the police were alerted.
“Operatives of the Imo State Police Command have today, March 11, 2026, arrested two suspected armed robbers and recovered a pistol and seven rounds of live ammunition following a swift response to a distress call in Owerri,” the statement read.
He identified the suspects as Solomon Ejekwe, 29, from Ubaha Orodo in Mbaitoli Local Government Area, and Emeka Charles, 35, from Umuopara Ngugo in Ikeduru Local Government Area.
“The suspects were apprehended by operatives of the Orji Divisional Headquarters in collaboration with the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit following a distress call from members of the public reporting an armed robbery incident at Aladinma, Owerri,” Okoye said.
Preliminary investigations, he added, revealed that the suspects approached the victim while he was washing his vehicle, robbed him at gunpoint and fled the scene on a motorcycle.
“The victim, however, pursued the suspects in his vehicle and succeeded in knocking them down. They were subsequently overpowered and beaten by an angry mob before police operatives arrived at the scene and took them into custody,” he said.
The police spokesperson stated that a pistol and seven rounds of live ammunition were recovered from the suspects.
Okoye added that the suspects were taken to the police medical centre for treatment and would be arraigned in court after investigations are concluded.
“The suspects have been rushed to the police medical centre for medical attention and will be arraigned in court with appropriate criminal charges at the earliest possible time,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Audu Garba Bosso, commended the operatives for their swift response and praised residents for assisting the police during the incident.
He, however, warned against mob action, urging members of the public to always allow the law to take its course.
