Police added that the suspects have been charged in court to answer the charges levelled against them.
By Kehinde Okeowo
The Imo State Police Command has dismissed three of its operatives over their involvement in armed robbery, kidnapping, and car snatching.
This was disclosed on Friday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, who noted that the trio were found guilty after an orderly room trial found them culpable.
He identified the dismissed officers as ex-Sgt Gift Ekwueme, ex-Sgt Ikechukwu Eto, and ex-Cpl Divine Okwuaru, adding that they are currently detained at the Imo State Police headquarters.
Apart from the trio, a civilian accomplice, Elias Chukwu, who allegedly acted as the driver during the operation, has also been charged alongside the officers.
The offences were found to be contrary to Paragraph E (i) and (iii) of the First Schedule of the Police Act and Regulation 370, punishable under Regulation 371 of the Nigeria Police Act 2020, as amended.
Okoye noted that the suspects allegedly carried out the criminal act on 8 February 2026, along Mbaise Road in Owerri, where they reportedly robbed residents at gunpoint and snatched a vehicle.
The stolen vehicle was later tracked to the Owerri-Onitsha Road while the suspects were allegedly on their way to dispose of it before they were apprehended.
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Police sources disclosed that the dismissed officers were not officially detailed for patrol on the day of the incident and had falsely presented themselves as members of the Tiger Base Unit of the Command while committing the crime.
Speaking further on the incident, the Imo State Police spokesperson added that the officers were swiftly apprehended, thoroughly investigated, and summarily dismissed in line with extant laws guiding the conduct of personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.
Okoye added that the suspects are to be charged in court to answer for the charges levelled against them.
He noted that the action underscores the Command’s commitment to accountability, professionalism, and the restoration of public confidence.
He further encouraged residents to report cases of police misconduct through its Complaint Response Unit desk line (08148024755), assuring that all reports would be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
On his part, the state’s Police Commissioner, CP Audu Bosso, reiterated his administration’s zero tolerance for corruption and unprofessional conduct, and directed the Command’s Legal Department to ensure the immediate arraignment of the suspects in court.
“It will no longer be business as usual for erring officers in this command. Any officer found culpable of misconduct or criminality will face the full weight of the law,” he said.
Bosso urged members of the public to provide credible information that would assist the Command in sanitising the system, assuring that other officers under investigation will face similar disciplinary action if found guilty.
