The Anambra State Joint Enforcement Team of Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, Ocha Brigade, has arrested 14 suspects using fake military uniforms to carry out criminal activities in Onitsha and its environs.
The Managing Director of Ocha Brigade, Celestine Anere, who spoke to journalists while parading the suspects on Friday, said the suspects were arrested on Thursday across various locations in Onitsha.
Anere said they used the fake army uniforms to commit various crimes including robbery, harassment of innocent residents and forcefully extorting money from motorists and passers-by in the area.
He also disclosed that some of the suspects have confessed to the crime of stealing and snatching phones and valuables from commuters and innocent residents.
He explained that some of them have admitted to using hard drugs and gathering intelligence for their criminal counterparts.
He said, “Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, Ocha Brigade, has previously arrested and prosecuted some of the hoodlums in similar cases and will continue to sanitise the state from criminals and drug syndicates.
“The effort to rid the state of criminal elements is in line with the mandate of the state government’s clean, healthy, livable and prosperous homeland. Let’s secure our state from criminal elements. We also appealed to the public to call the customer service lines provided for emergencies and inquiries.”
