The Nigeria Police said they have arraigned three suspects for stealing properties belonging to the Imo State Teaching Hospital (IMSUTH) in the Orlu Local Government Area of the state.

The police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

Mr Okoye, an assistant superintendent of police, said one of the suspects, Kelechukwu Nwode, 21, was first arrested by police detectives after he was caught stealing some properties belonging to the IMSUTH while other suspects fled.

The police spokesperson said the divisional police officer in charge of Orlu Division deployed the police detectives who conducted a surveillance patrol in the health facility that resulted in the arrest of Mr Nwode, an indigene of Ikwo Council Area of Ebonyi State.

He said the deployment of the detectives to the facility for the operation was in response to a “series of complaints of vandalism and looting of the medical equipment and properties” of the facility by hoodlums who often operated at night.

“In the course of the investigation, the suspect confessed to being a member of a notorious syndicate that specialises in vandalising and looting the medical equipment of IMSUTH, took the determined Division’s detectives to his house where most of the items he looted were recovered,” Mr Okoye said.

The police spokesperson listed looted items which were recovered from the suspect including a tricycle, a large quantity of copper wire, a big iron rod, one IMSUTH mattress, a cylinder, and a generator.

Others are some scraps, one air conditioner, and a television set.

Arraignment

Mr Okoye said the suspect later furnished the detectives with information that led to the arrest of two other members of the syndicate.

The two other arrested suspects include Jeremiah Oliver, 28, of Ibiasoegbe, a community in the Oru-West Local Government Area of the state and Paul Okeke, 44, who hails from Umudara, Amaifeke, a community in Orlu Local Government Area of the same state.

“They have been arraigned in court,” the police spokesperson said, without mentioning the court where the suspects were arraigned.

The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Ahmed Barde, reiterated the commitment of the police in the state to ensure the security of lives and property of residents, Mr Okoye said.

Mr Barde applauded the divisional police officer of Orlu Division for successfully supervising the operation.

The police commissioner enjoined the residents to continue to support the police and other security agencies with “timely information” that will assist them in the fight against crime.

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