Operatives of the Osisioma Divisional Headquarters of the Abia State police command, in collaboration with vigilantes, on Saturday, arrested three suspected armed robbers notorious for targeting tricycle riders and dispossessing civilians of their belongings.

The spokesperson for the command, Maureen Chinaka, said in a statement on Wednesday that the suspects were 23-year-old Chinweoke Friday, 20-year-old Nmesoma Eze and 19-year-old Nnaemeka Nwaolisa. 

A locally made pistol and a black bag containing chains, charms, a power bank, purses, an ATM card and spanners were recovered from them.

Mrs Chinaka said, “Acting on actionable intelligence, operatives of the Osisioma Police Divisional Headquarters in collaboration with its community security vigilantes, apprehended three suspects on 7/10/2026.

“The suspects are part of the criminal syndicate involved in armed robbery, targeting tricycle operators and dispossessing civilians of their belongings. During the operation, the above mentioned exhibits were recovered from the suspects.

“Upon interrogation, the suspects confessed to their involvement in the theft of armoured cables belonging to Planet Company, located along Enugu–Aba Expressway in Osisioma.

“Video recordings of their confessional statements were taken, while investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the suspected criminal syndicate. The suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.”

The Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, reiterated the command’s commitment to combating armed robbery and other criminal activities across the state.

Mr Afolabi urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to the police to support ongoing efforts to safeguard lives and property.

He further assured residents of the command’s resolve to sustain intelligence-led policing and strengthen collaboration with community vigilantes and other stakeholders to ensure a safer state.