Youths of Umuhu autonomous community in Ngor Okpala LGA of Imo State on Monday – earlier today – apprehended five persons suspected to be amongst those who had attacked motorists along the Owerri-Aba expressway last Friday night.
President General, Mr Val Nwaimo and heads of the six villages namely Umuota, Amankwu, Mbutu, Egbelu, Umuechem and Umueze, had instructed the youths to comb all the adjoining bushes within the community and fish out the fleeing bandits.
One of the youths from Umuota village who participated in the manhunt, Henry Ekeh said they were able to fish out two of the bandits who claimed to be from Abia state and who were also in possession of a military beret cap.
The other three other suspects are from the northern part of the country, he further disclosed .
It would be recalled that last Friday, suspected bandits who had mounted road blocks between Ihitte and Umuhu communities of Ngor Okpala Council on the Owerri-Aba Expressway, had attacked and hijacked a Toyota Siena commuter van with its occupants after having shot the driver.
The activities of the bandits had disrupted commercial businesses in the Ihitte/Umuhu communities of Ngor Okpala section of the Owerri -Aba expressway for several hours.
It was learnt that the suspected criminals fled into the surrounding bushes within the Umuhu community to escape arrest by the military personnel who were hot on their heels last night.
The suspects have been handed over to the security agents who had been informed earlier about the operation by leaders of Umuhu.
