The hoodlums, who murdered a couple in Abia State, have been arrested and paraded by the police.

The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ene Okon, on Tuesday, said that Mr and Mrs Darlington Chinyere Uzoma, the five suspects robbed the couple of their money before killing them in the presence of their children.

He said the incident happened last Saturday.

He gave the names of the suspects as Precious Okoro, Ogbonna Justice, Enyinna Asiegbu, Promise Sunday and Emezuo Kingsley.

He added that one Sienna Van,  two pump action guns, two locally made short guns, three live cartridges and one expended cartridge were recovered from the suspects.

The CP stated that SARS operatives on Operation Puff Adder went after the hoodlums after a tip-off and intercepted a tricycle conveying two of the hoodlums Okoro and Justice.

He added that their confession Ied to arrest of other members of the gang, while efforts were on to arrest one member now at large.

Okon stated,

“The suspects have confessed to series of armed robbery and car snatching escapades by their gang including the most recent shooting of the couple.

“The gang members are an offshoot of a deadly armed robber known as Sampson Nwokocha (Grave) that was gun down by the police last December.

“After the death of Grave, Umuahia residents enjoyed a peaceful movement and social moment.

“But the peace was however truncated by the activities of the late Grave gang members who seems to have been on holidays, but later resurfaced around January 10, 2020 in what seems like recouping expenses made during the Yuletide.

“Their criminal activities became worrisome as request for credible information on the gang never came but series of their nefarious activities and the blood of the innocent couples shot to death caught up with them when intercepted by gallant patrol teams on Operation Puff Adder”.

The CP, however, frowned at the alleged celebrations and shielding of young men who paraded wealth without any known means of livelihood.

He also cautioned some community leaders who indulged in preventing Police officers from arresting suspected criminals from their domains.

Confessing to the crime, one of the suspects Emezuo, who reportedly shot the couple said it was the influence of bad friends that lured him into armed robbery.

He said,

“I was a butcher in Port Harcourt Rivers State before I came back to my village in August last year for my father’s burial.

“After the burial, things became hard for me, that was how my friends introduced me to armed robbery”.

He, however, denied shooting the couple adding that it was the gang member who was at large that shot them.