The Police Command in Enugu State says it has 123 persons in its custody over their alleged involvement in various crimes in the state.

The command also disclosed that it rescued 19 kidnap victims and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Kanayo Uzuegbu, said this at a news briefing in Enugu on Thursday.

Uzuegbu said that the suspects were detained in connection with alleged murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and cultism, among other crimes, between July and August.

He also said that the police recovered 15 assault rifles, including an AK-47, 25 pump action guns and 35 other firearms.

Other weapons were 710 live ammunition of different calibres, 187 live cartridges, 17 motor vehicles, 11 tricycles and eight motorcycles.

He said that several incriminating exhibits were recovered during the operations by the command’s personnel.

According to him, many of the suspects have been arraigned and remanded in Custodial Centres.

Uzuegbu said that at about 5pm on August 21, police operatives serving in the Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad recovered an AK-47 rifle at New Artisan, Enugu.

He said: “The recovery followed the operatives’ swift response to credible information alleging the milling around of suspicious persons in the area.

“The suspects, upon sighting the operatives, opened fire on them.

“However, the operatives promptly returned fire, forcing the hoodlums to escape with gunshot wounds and abandoning the rifle.

“However, a discreet investigation is ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.”

The state police boss further said that at about 1:30am on August 19, a combined team of tactical police operatives busted a kidnappers’ hideout at New Artisan and apprehended five suspects.

He said that the suspects were currently undergoing interrogation and aiding further discreet investigations aimed at fishing out others at large.

“Also, at about 2am on August 15, operational and tactical police operatives of the command raided the camp of the outlawed IPOB/ESN renegades at Aninwede Nkwubor, Emene, Enugu.

“The subversive criminal elements, on sighting the operatives, opened fire on them, but the operatives returned fire at a superior level, neutralizing two of them, while others escaped with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.

“Incriminating exhibits, including firearms the hoodlums snatched from security operatives after attacking them, were recovered,” while discreet investigations are ongoing to arrest those at large,” Uzuegbu said.

He lauded Gov. Peter Mbah for being pragmatic in handling security issues.

He challenged the residents and landlords to be more mindful of their environment.

“I appreciate Gov. Peter Mbah for taking the bold and pragmatic steps of demolishing houses and facilities used in harbouring and perpetrating acts of abduction and kidnapping in the state.

“The exercise will serve as a morale booster to us, especially as we execute our security operations and frantically work towards making Enugu State uninhabitable for kidnappers and other criminal elements.

“I call on citizens of Enugu State, particularly landlords, hoteliers, and owners of uncompleted buildings to be mindful of who they accommodate in such structures,” he further said. (NAN)