Police arrest two over vandalism, theft of government property in Abia

Authorities in Abia State, Nigeria, have apprehended two individuals suspected of vandalizing and pilfering government property along the Umuahia-Uzuakoli Road. The Abia State Police Command announced the arrests on Tuesday, identifying the suspects as Emmanuel Ogonna, 23, and Ifeanychukwu Oko, 25, both from Bende Local Government Area.

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Leveraging on actionable intelligence, operatives of the Mike Okiro Divisional Police Headquarters, along Uzuakoli Road on 19/06/2026, during a stop-and-search operation along Uzuakoli Road, apprehended the above-mentioned suspects in an auto-rickshaw (Keke Napep) and recovered from them the items, all suspected to have been vandalised and stolen.

During a stop-and-search operation, police recovered a significant cache of stolen items from the suspects, including 49 angle irons, two saws, three spanners, three small iron boards, and 86 electrical poles. These items are believed to have been removed from government infrastructure.

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The command said the suspects made confessional statements, admitting to vandalising and stealing the recovered items.

The arrests were made possible by actionable intelligence, leading operatives to intercept the suspects in a motorized rickshaw. Both individuals reportedly confessed to the vandalism and theft. The case has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for a thorough investigation and subsequent prosecution.

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The command’s Public Relations Officer, Maureen Chinaka, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, identifying the suspects as 23-year-old Emmanuel Ogonna and 25-year-old Ifeanychukwu Oko, both of Lohom, Uzuakoli, in Bende Local Government Area.

Commissioner of Police Danladi Isa reiterated the command's dedication to its crime prevention mandate. He urged the public to cooperate with security agencies by reporting any suspicious activities or individuals to the nearest police station.

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The Abia Commissioner of Police, Danladi Isa, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to its constitutional mandate of preventing and detecting crime. He urged members of the public to support security agencies by reporting suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police station.