Suspected killer of police officer arrested in Imo

Police operatives in Imo have arrested one of the suspected killers of a retired Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) in the state, Christian Kpatuma,

Kpatuma was killed by suspected cultists at Agwa in Oguta local government area of the state on Wednesday.

The spokesman for the state police command, Mike Abattam, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, said the suspect, Deberechi Chukwu, was arrested after a discreet investigation.

Abattam said the suspect was arrested while trying to escape to a neighbouring state.

The statement read: “Following a report of a case of murder received by the Agwa Divisional Police Headquarters that Kpatuma was abducted by a group of young men suspected to be cultist in his house.

“On receipt of information that Kpatuma was taken to a nearby bush where he was killed and later the corpse was brought back and dumped in front of his compound, the Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Hussaini, immediately dispatched the command’s tactical teams to the Agwa community with a mandate to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

READ ALSO: Imo Police confirms death of officer in attack by hoodlums

“On arrival, the team commenced a discreet investigation and after diligent gathering of both forensic and technical intelligence, one of the suspects, Deberechi Chukwu, was arrested while escaping to another state.

“Investigation revealed that the suspect is a notorious kidnapper and an escapee from the Imo Correctional Centre, Owerri.

.“It is also on record that he was involved in the killing of a lot of security personnel in the state.

“However, he has made useful statements and volunteered to assist the police in the arrest of other members of his gang currently on the run.”

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