Police smash criminals hideout in Aba, arrest 20

TWENTY suspected criminals are now
in detention in Aba following a raid,
yesterday, by the Police from Ariaria Division
of the city on two Indian hemp spots said to
be haven for notorious criminals within
Ariaria International Market.
The arrest came barely one week after the
Police from the Area Command in Aba raided
a hotel which allegedly serves as criminals
hide-out in the city centre where no fewer
than 20 suspected criminals were
apprehended.
The spots identified as ‘Black Kingdom’ at
Samek by Old express road and ‘Snow White’
at Bakassi were all located near Ariaria
International Market.
It was gathered that before the police raid,
‘Black kingdom’ was one of the areas where
drug addicts in the city relocated after they
were dislodged by the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, from their
former location at ‘York’ at Park road.
It was further gathered that most criminals
who operated within the commercial city
usually gather at the two locations not only
to smoke, but also to hatch plans on how to
unleash terror on residents.
The operation was carried out in
conjunction with policemen mobilised from
other divisions in the Aba Area Command
which led to the arrest of 20 suspects
alleged to be members of robbery gangs
which have been terrorizing the city of late .
When contacted, the Police Public Relations
Officer, Geoffrey Ogbonna described the raid
as a proactive measure taken by the Police
Command in the state to ensure that the
state was free from all forms of criminality.
“We are raiding hideouts in a bid to ensure
the society is being ridden off crimes and
criminality because we know that those
hideouts are possible places where all the
hoodlums hide and from there, they go
about to perpetrate their evil acts. So, police
raiding hideouts is not out of place.
“It is a proactive measure adopted by the
command in order to ensure that the state
is free from crime and criminality, especially
in Aba.
“If in the course of interrogation one is
found culpable or cannot give an accurate
account of him or herself, definitely, that
person will be prosecuted if linked up with
any crime. while those that can established
their personality will be released.
Ogbonna however, urged the public to
report promptly to the police any place(s)
suspected to be hideout(s) for criminals,
stressing that the police in the state has a
zero tolerance for criminal activities in
whatever disguise.