Four suspected organ harvesters and ritualists have been arrested by the Ebonyi State Police.
The suspects were among the 177 criminal suspects arrested in October 2024, as revealed by the spokesperson of the command DSP Joshua Ukandu on Friday in Abakiliki, the state capital.
He said the suspects comprise of 162 males and 15 females, adding that 92 of them were being prosecuted, with others pending further investigation.
Ukandu said, “The command has employed strategic steps, including increased stakeholder engagement, to reduce crime to the barest minimum.”
He said efforts were being made to create a “safe and prosperous environment for socio-economic growth in the state.”
Among the cases, Ukandu reported an investigation into organ harvesting that began after one ippMrs. Blessing Chikezie reported her husband, Mr Idenyi Chikezie, missing on October 11.
He was last seen on a business trip to Lagos in September.
DSP Ukandu stated, “Command operatives from the Anti-kidnapping Unit, through diligent investigation, arrested Innocent Elebe and Eze Elechi. Their statements led to the arrest of Obinna Nwanguru and Oda Peter.
“They confessed to killing Idenyi Chikezie, Chibu Odii, and Eze Fabian on different dates, attempting to extract their blood/organs for use in treating a cognitively impaired person (Down syndrome).”
The command said two corpses had been recovered, while efforts were ongoing to locate the remains of the third victim.
Other arrests included suspects involved in kidnapping, murder, robbery, and unlawful possession of firearms.
