Three Suspected Robbers Escape Police Custody In Anambra

Three suspected armed robbers who were arrested wearing army uniform have escaped police custody on Thursday in Obosi, Idemili North, Anambra state.

The suspects, whose names were given as Olisa Dominic (18), Friday Nwali (19) and Nwanosike Isaac, were reportedly arrested by a vigilante group in the area known as Obosi Vanguard at Little Wood Estate, Obosi, while allegedly getting ready to strike, Southern City reports.

The suspects were handed over to the police by the vigilante group but they escaped shortly after.

The criminals are now at large and, as a result, members of the community are now living in fear.

“We are living in fear and danger now. We can’t understand how some suspects arrested by our vigilantes would escape after they were duly handed over to the police.

“Something is wrong somewhere. We no longer sleep with our eyes fully closed because anything can happen anytime. We don’t know who to trust again,” a member of the community said.

The President of the vigilante group, Mr Oluchukwu Anyaoku, said they kept the suspects in the hall after their arrest and were waiting to hand them over to the Ogidi Police Area Command, but the police from Obosi came and took the suspects to Obosi Police Station. Since then, their whereabouts have been a mystery.

Mr Anyaoku said, according to Punch:

It is the Obosi police that will tell the world the whereabouts of the suspects. We are a non-violent group and do not want to have any misunderstanding with the police and that was why we handed the suspects over to them. It is left for the police at Obosi to tell the people, the public and the world the whereabouts of the three suspects in army uniform arrested with cutlasses; the police have to produce the suspects.

The Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr Garba Umar, said he has directed immediate investigation into the matter.